THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE...
By Stiltzkin
Author's Note: Sorry for not posting this in a timely manner. I was suffering from "Sophomore Slumps." A term, which I coin for all my second chapters in all of my series I am currently writing. It seems I could write a good first chapter getting many reviews, but when I post my second chapter...well dust (see my other series to confirm my phobia). Since this series didn't get many reviews...well, let's just say I got off my high chair and out of my pity party and realized that I write to satisfy the emptiness inside of me and not for the adulation of others.
Having this new perspective I started to write this, so I apologize about it's tardiness and hope you like it as much as the first chapter. Please note some of the flashback scenes are a stretch (especially Daisuke's), but I hope it is believable. Finally, my baby brother, who's an avid Digimon aficionado, tells me that Takeru's mother's name is Nancy so I used that, please contact me if I'm wrong. Enjoy.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Loving someone that doesn't love you is like reaching for a star.
You know you'll never reach it but you just got to keep trying."
- Unknown.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWO: SECRETS, MEMORIES AND CONFESSIONS.
Takeru Takaishi quickly meandered through the busy streets of Odaiba. He almost lost his hat twice from running too quickly. "I'm sorry." He said to the person he bumped into and promptly ran around him without his forgiveness and dashed towards home.
Detention had dragged on which seemed like hours. It was the first time he was in detention and didn't know what to expect. Takeru thought that he could do something constructive with the time like homework, but since it was the second last day of school there was none to do. So he was forced to sit there and listen to his principal dragging on about the evils of coital interplay. It seemed like an eternity before he was set free.
He dashed up the stairs of his apartment building, unwilling to wait for the elevator. He didn't realize that he wouldn't have much time to get ready for the formal when he unilaterally decided to take the punishment for what was done in the gymnasium earlier. "Hi mom, sorry I'm late." He said bursting through the door.
"That's okay son." Nancy Takaishi, Takeru's mother replied nonchalantly. Her eyes still fixated on her computer.
"Whatcha doing?" He asked looking over his mother shoulder.
"Just writing an article on the historical significance of toilet paper." Nancy replied.
"Sounds...interesting." Takeru didn't know how to respond.
"Liar." Nancy smiled looking at her son. "What happened? You're out of breath." Her maternal instincts kicked in.
"Just had to stay after school for a bit."
"What did you do?" Nancy sounded concerned. It wasn't like her son to get into trouble. "It's over a girl isn't?" She smiled tauntingly. "Your principal called." Nancy added.
"Oh." Takeru could feel his face turn red. "It's a long story, but I promise it's rather innocent and I'll tell you about it after I get ready for the formal tonight." Takeru said rushing towards his bedroom trying to evade his mother's suspicions.
"You're tuxedo is on your bed." She raised her voice.
"Great! Thanks mom!" Takeru's voice came from within. "Umm...Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Where's my top hat?"
"Oh, I forgot." His mother replied.
"What?!?" Nancy could hear her son freaking out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hikari Kamiya struggled with the zipper of her chiffon black dress for about ten minutes. Every time she would get the zipper halfway up it would go back down again. "Mom?" She yelled with frustration.
There was no answer, but a strange echo of another voice. "Mom?" She yelled again, this time with a hint of confusion. She slowly walked out of her room, to see that her older brother, Taichi Kamiya coming out of his room.
"Have you seen mom?" Taichi asked.
"No." Hikari sighed. "You?"
"No." Taichi's voice had a hint of concern. "Did you check the answer machine?" He asked.
"I thought you did." Hikari sighed.
"I was busy getting ready for the Junior High formal."
"What do you think I was doing?" Hikari asked.
"Well..." Taichi taunted.
"That was a rhetorical question Tai." Hikari sighed wobbling towards the answer machine.
A message emanated from the machine; it was their mother. It seemed that she had to work late at the Health Food Store that she bought shortly after their father's death. She told them not to worry and that she'll be home soon.
"Great." They exasperated in unison.
"I don't suppose you know how to tie a bow tie?" Taichi asked.
"Yeah, I do." Hikari smiled. "But first do you mind zipping my dress up?" She asked turning her back to her brother, lifting her short brown hair.
Taichi's eyes dilated and his left eyebrow rose at the sight of his baby sister's dress. It was a low cut, spaghetti straps, black chiffon dress that flowed an inch above her knees. "You're not wearing that are you?"
"Yeah I am, why don't you like it?" Hikari answered still waiting for her brother to fasten her zipper.
"Well, it's rather revealing."
"I don't think so." Hikari sighed.
"Does mom know you're wearing this?"
"She was there when I bought it." Hikari sighed. "Now if you don't mind would you fasten my zipper?" She asked, her back still facing towards her brother.
"Sorry." Taichi sighed with concern. He approached his baby sister and fastened her zipper. "Is that perfume you're wearing?"
"Yeah. Mimi got it for me when I was in New York with T.K. last summer. Its called Lust." Hikari replied nonchalantly.
"Lust? Why does that worry me?"
Hikari smiled to herself and turn to her brother. "Because you're a caring, loving, protective brother, not to mention obnoxious, rash..."
"I get the point."
Hikari smiled and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I know that I don't tell you this often, but you've been doing a good job taking care of the family since daddy died."
"Thanks." Taichi blushed. "I just wish mom don't have to work so much."
"Yeah me too." Hikari sighed. "So how do I look?" Hikari asked twirling in her dress.
"Aren't you going to be cold?"
"I have a shawl." Hikari exasperated. "So, how do I look?" She reiterated.
"You look fine."
Hikari moaned with frustration. "You're so hopeless." She sighed looking pitifully at her brother. 'Is he really that clueless?' Hikari thought. "Com'on let me help you with that bow tie." She sighed leading her brother into her room. "Sit on the bed in front of the mirror." She directed.
"When did you learn how to tie a bow tie?" Taichi asked.
"Mom taught me years ago." Hikari sighed sitting beside her brother on the bed.
"Why would mom know?"
"You kidding, right?" Hikari smiled. "Daddy didn't know how to tie his bow tie either. Mom had to do it for him." She smiled putting her arms around her brother's neck and began to tie his bow tie. "It was one of those things I wanted to learn when I was younger."
"I didn't know that." Taichi sighed. He had always thought that he knew his father, but when he died, he realized how wrong he was. Taichi never realized how much he had in common with his father and how much he needed to learn from him to become a man. "Hey who bought you the roses?" He asked seeing the dozen red roses in a glass vase sitting on her dresser table.
"Oh that." Hikari sighed dismissing it quickly. "Davis bought them for me."
"Davis?" Taichi sounded surprised. "He must really like you."
"Big surprise." Hikari replied sarcastically. "We've known that since I was ten." She reminded her brother.
"Yeah, but this is the first time he spent money on you." Taichi pointed out.
"Com'on Tai, how much could a dozen long stem red roses cost?"
"Oh, I don't know, a bunch like that, maybe 3000 to 4000 yens."
Hikari gasped. "That much? I didn't realize."
"Yeah, he must have been saving up for weeks." Taichi sighed. He suppressed a small smile to himself. He would remember a time, not too long ago, when he would spend an obscene amount of money on Sora.
The thought of Sora still made his heart ache. 'Why did it have to end up this way?' He thought. The memory of what happened between Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, his first love, and him still pained him. 'What did I do wrong?' He thought. 'Things were a lot simpler when we were younger.' He sighed entering a gaze.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nine years, nine months ago...
Taichi sighed looking out the window of the moving car. He was disheartened, broken-hearted that only a six-year-old could imagine. "Mom do I really have to go?" Taichi's whined. "I wanna play soccer."
"No Tai, everyone has to start school some time." His mother replied. "Today's your time."
"But I don't want to go to school." His temper tantrum continued. "Why can't Hikari go in my place?" Hikari turned to Taichi and blew her whistle. "Ouch...Not so loud." Taichi sighed. "Mom, why did you buy Hikari that whistle?"
"Hikari how many times do I have to tell you not to blow that thing at your brother." Her mother scolded. Taichi stuck out his tongue at his younger sibling. "And Tai you deserved it for trying to get your sister to take your place at school." Hikari let the whistle out of her mouth and stuck her tongue at her brother.
"But ma, I don't want to go to school."
"Don't worry Tai, you'll make tons of new friends, especially with that healthy lunch I made for you." His mother smiled. "You'll be the most popular guy in school."
"Yeah...sure mom." He sighed looking at his lunchbox. "Mom, I think I'm feeling sick." He lied.
"Nice try." His mother smiled. "But we're here." She announced stopping the car.
Taichi looked out the window to see a gigantic, two-story school of Odaiba Elementary. His eyes dilated it was the biggest building beside his apartment building that he ever laid eyes on. "Wow." He said to himself.
"Com'on Tai, time for school." His mother said holding on his hand and carrying Hikari with the other. Her teary eyes were proud that her baby boy was going to school for the first time.
They entered the school and headed to his class accordingly. "Hi my name is Miss. Hideaki, I'll be your teacher. What's your name?" Hideaki said kneeling down to Taichi's level.
"Hi my name is Tai." He said enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you Tai." Hideaki said shaking his hand. "Why don't you play with those two kids over there." She pointed to a table where two kids sat. There was a small girl wearing blue jeans and plan shirt with a blue knitted hat hiding her brown hair and a blond hair, blue-eyed boy wearing blue jeans and green shirt.
"Hi my name is Tai."
"Hi Tai, my name is Sora."
"Hi Sora." He smiled at the girl.
"Hey Tai." He said casually. "Mines Matt."
"Hi Matt." Taichi greeted. "Whatcha doing?"
"We're colouring." Sora smiled. "Want to join us?"
"Sure." Taichi smiled grabbing a red crayon.
Three hours later...
"What do you have for lunch Tai?" Sora asked her new friend.
Taichi opened his lunchbox; the smell of his lunch overpowered their senses. "Wow, that stinks." Yamato commented.
"I know." Taichi sighed. "It's a liver and bean sprout sandwich, my mother is into healthy food." He sighed.
"You mean gross tasting food." Yamato corrected.
"Yeah." Taichi sighed. "Wanna trade?"
"No." They said in unison.
Taichi sighed taking a bite of his lunch. He ate his lunch slowly, while Yamato and Sora quickly finished theirs. With each bite Taichi's stomach turned, with each shallow his face turned a darker shade of green.
"Com'on let's play." Sora said when her lunch was finished.
"Okay." Taichi said jumping from his seat.
"Not so fast Tai." Hideaki interrupted his flight. "You have to finish your lunch first."
"But Miss. Hideaki." He whined.
"No buts now finish your lunch."
"Sorry Tai." Sora smiled sympathetically taking off her hat.
"Com'on Sora let's play." Yamato yelled in the distance.
"Finish soon okay." She smiled unconsciously leaving her hat on the table.
"Why me?" Taichi sighed taking another bite of his lunch. With each bite his stomach turned. It took the rest of the lunch hour to finish his lunch.
"Are you feeling okay?" Hideaki asked Taichi.
"No." Taichi said grabbing the nearest thing he found Sora's hat and threw up in it. "I think I'm sick."
"Com'on I'll take you to the nurse."
"Thanks." Taichi sighed getting up from the table.
"There's your hat Sora." Yamato pointed out.
"Great." Sora sighed with relief. "Thanks Matt, my mom would have killed me if I lost it." She smiled picking up her hat.
"Wait Sora!" Taichi try to intercede. It was too late. She had already put her hat on with Tai's regurgitation covering all over her head.
"Eww..." She cried. "Miss. Hideaki!"
"Oh, oh."
"Tai!" She yelled.
"Com'on Miss. Hideaki, get me to the nurse before she has to fix a broken arm or something as well as my stomach." Taichi said nervously rushing his teacher out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * *
He smiled to himself. 'Well maybe it wasn't so easy.' He sighed coming out of his gaze and realized that his younger sister was in her very own trance. "Hey Kari?" Taichi asked, his voice above a whisper.
"Yeah." She said coming out of her trance. "What is it Tai?"
"My tie?"
Hikari blushed and realized that it was half done. "I'm sorry."
"Where were you?"
"Oh nowhere special." Hikari sighed finishing his bow tie. "I was just thinking about Davis."
"Oh?" Taichi taunted.
"It's not what you think." Hikari reassured. "It's just that Davis has been more romantic these days."
"You fallen for him, haven't you?" Taichi's teased.
"No Tai." Hikari sighed. "At least I don't think so." She went to her camera wanting to hold it, but it wasn't there, she wasn't wearing it. She would always hold her camera or whistle, or whatever was around her neck when she was worried about something, she didn't know why, but it strangely made her feel safe. "Tai how do you know when you're in love?"
"I don't know." Taichi sighed reminiscing about Sora. "It's different for everyone." He sighed. "Why do you ask?"
"It just that...It just that Davis says he likes me and he's so adamant about it, he's so positive that he feels it within his bones." Hikari sighed. "Hell I don't even know what love is." She sighed with frustration.
"I think you do." Taichi encouraged. "You're more mature than the average twelve year old." He sighed. "All the Digidestined seem more mature for their age." Taichi sighed humbly.
"Well being more mature then you're suppose to be is not what is cracked up to be." Hikari sighed.
"I know." Taichi sighed joining his sister in her sorrow. "Is something wrong?" He asked his sister.
"I'm fine." Hikari lied. "Why do you ask?"
"You're clenching to your torso."
"Oh." Hikari blushed. "I guess I feel a little naked without something around my neck." She confessed.
Taichi smiled to himself. "I think I might have something for that." He said leaving Hikari's room. He returned moments later with a golden locket in his hand. "Here." He smiled draping the necklace around his sister's neck.
"It's beautiful." Hikari gasped. "I didn't know that you collected women's jewellery." She teased.
"I bought it for Sora before..."
"Tai, I can't accept this." Hikari said interrupting her brother, taking off the locket. "You bought it for..."
"The woman I love." Taichi completed her sentence. "And the last time I cheeked you were one of them." Taichi forced a smiled.
"Thanks." Hikari sheepishly smiled. She looked into her brother's brown eyes and saw both joy and pain. "Tai?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"What happened between the three of you, between you, Sora, and Matt?" Hikari boldly asked.
"Kari there are just some things that you shouldn't know, that you wouldn't understand, no matter how much life experience you have." Taichi sighed ambiguously leaving his sister's room.
"What happened to you Tai?" She sighed to herself.
* * * * * * * * * *
Daisuke Motomiya was frustrated with his bow tie. "Ahh...why do they make these things so complicated." He said untying the knot that he made.
"Something wrong?" Jun Motomiya, his older sister popped in.
"No." Daisuke replied bitterly. "Not unless you know how to tie this stupid thing." He said trying for the umpteenth time to tie his bow tie.
"Here let me." Jun sighed. "You're so useless. Don't you know how to do anything?" She asked with frustration.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Like you care."
"I don't that's why I asked." Daisuke fumed. "Ow...watch it you're choking me." He complained.
"Then stop moving around." Jun defended.
"Then don't pull so hard."
"Fine." Jun said with frustration leaving his bow tie half-done. "Then tie it yourself."
"I don't know how to." Daisuke pouted.
"Then stop complaining when someone is trying to help you." Jun protested.
"Sorry." Daisuke mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" His sister stopped before crossing the threshold of her brother's room.
"I said I was sorry!"
"Okay, okay, you don't have to bite my head off."
"I'm sorry...I just want to make a good impression with Kari that's all." He sighed.
Jun sighed and took pity on her baby brother. "This Kari, is she the one with Tai as an older brother?" She asked.
"Yeah, so what of it?"
"Hey just asking." Jun defended. "You don't have to be so defensive." She sighed finishing her brother's bow tie. "I thought she and Matt's younger brother were going out with each other." Jun pointed out.
"THEY ARE NOT!" He bellowed back.
"Okay, okay, just calm down." His sister reassured. "I just don't want to see you setting yourself up for disappointment, like I did with Matt." She sighed with sisterly concern.
"That's different!" Daisuke pointed out.
"Oh, how so?"
"In your case you were chasing a guy who didn't like you back, and in my case I'm chasing a girl that..." Daisuke stopped in mid sentence realizing that it maybe one in the same thing. "They just are!" He protested.
"All right." She sighed. "Good luck with everything tonight."
"What do you mean about that?" He bellowed.
"Nothing." She sighed. "Just being polite." She sighed leaving the room.
"Well who asked you to." He yelled to a closed door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Takeru sighed with frustration. For the last fifteen minutes he was trying to comb his cowlick down. 'Ah...this is why I wear hats.' He moaned. 'How can my mother forget the top hat?' He frivolously tried once more to get the tuff of flaxen hair down.
"You okay Takeru? You've been in your room for over an hour?" His mother asked popping her head into her son's room.
"Not really, trying to fix my hair." He sighed with frustration as the cowlick came right back up. "It seems my hair won't cooperate with me." He sighed.
"Here let me help you." Nancy Takaishi smiled sitting beside her son on his bed. "I'm sorry I forgot your top hat when I picked up your tuxedo this afternoon." She sighed.
"That's okay." Takeru sighed. "Maybe I could wear my school hat with this tuxedo." He said putting his white fisherman's hat on. The informality of his white hat clashed with his tuxedo.
"Don't be silly." Nancy smiled taking off his hat.
"Well at least it solves the ordeal with my hair." He sighed.
"Here this will help." Nancy smiled reaching for her son's head.
"Whoa...what's that?" Takeru said trying to stop his mother's intervention.
"Don't be silly, you know what this is." Nancy smiled. "It's styling mousse."
"I know what it is." Her son protested. "When Matt was my age he went through about a dozen cans of that stuff a week." Takeru sarcastically pointed out. "It's just that Kari likes my hair natural." He blurted. Takeru quickly clamped his mouth with his hands. He could see his reflection turn red. 'Please don't let her hear that.' Takeru wished. He let the moment pass and studied his mother visage and saw that she didn't hear him. "Never mind, just get this over with." He sulked.
Nancy Takaishi suppressed a smile and pretended not to hear her son's first excuse. She massaged the styling mousse into her son's golden flaxen hair. She could see her son's uneasiness with the new hairstyle. "Relax, I'm sure Kari would like it." She teased. She couldn't help it.
'Oh...she knows.' Takeru sighed. "I...I don't know what you're talking about." He gave the first defence that ran through his mind.
"Okay...if you say so." His mother taunted. "There all done, what do you think?" She asked.
Takeru looked into the mirror and rather liked his new hairstyle, but he wouldn't give his mother the satisfaction that she was right. "It's okay." He sighed suppressing his approval about it.
"I know, I know, it's not the same thing as your hat." His mother teased knowing her son's true reaction. Nancy could read her son even when he's trying to hide something. "Do you need help with your bow tie?"
"Yeah, thanks." Takeru smiled. "I tired it three times already, but it doesn't seem right." He sighed. "I don't know how dad does it."
"He doesn't." Nancy smiled. "I do it for him."
"Oh." Takeru sighed. "I'm wondering how Matt is going to cope with his bow tie."
Nancy suppressed a smile; her older son had come over earlier for that very reason. "Oh, I think he'll manage." She looked at her son in the reflection of the mirror. "Oh, you look so handsome."
"Mom!" Takeru blushed.
"It's not an insult or motherly prejudice, it's true, you look like your father when he was your age." Nancy smiled seeing a hint of nostalgia in her eye. "I bet all the girls in the school are after you." She smiled.
"Not really." He sighed.
"Oh, I'm sure they are." She sighed. "You just don't notice it." Her motherly instincts honed into her son's eyes, it was full of indecision and pain, and it started when she mentioned girls. "What's wrong son?"
"How did you know that dad liked you when you were young?"
"Well." His mother smiled, the nostalgia in her eyes grew. "He did little things like writing me love poems, sending my favourite flowers, and sending sweets like chocolate."
"Oh." His heart dejected. 'Davis has been doing that lately. Am I losing Kari?' He thought. 'No, don't think that!" He debated. 'Why should I be surprised? It's no secret that he liked her for two years.' He reminded himself. "How did daddy know you liked him?"
"Oh, I was always in love with your father." Nancy sighed. "But if you're asking how did your father know that I loved him then you'll have to ask him." She sighed.
"Oh." She could hear her son's heart drop. "Maybe I will."
A wave of guilt hit Nancy Takaishi drowning her in a pool of bad memories and regret. She draped her arms around her son's neck and held him gently resting her head his shoulder. "I'm sorry son." She whispered.
"For what?"
"For not having a male role model in your life." She sighed. "I wish you have someone to go to with these problems."
"Hey mom, don't say that." Takeru smiled turning to his mother and giving her a hug. "Who would know women more, than my mother?" He smiled.
"You're a good kid you know."
"So you keep telling me." Takeru smiled. He looked into her mother's eyes, the windows to her soul and saw that she was still lost in sentimentality and the romance of the past. "Mom?"
"Yes son?"
"Why did you and daddy divorced?"
Nancy Takaishi sighed looking at her son. 'Maybe it's time.' She thought. "Your father and I love each other very much, but we both love something more then ourselves." She sighed taking a deep breath. "Our careers."
"What? I don't understand."
"Your father and I got married too young. We were young and ambitious and had to be in the centre of our perspective universes, and when our universes collide we ended up fighting." Nancy sighed looking at her son; his eyes were still fixated with hers. "Your father and I are good together professionally, but intimately and personally, that was much to be desired."
"You don't seem like that now." Takeru pointed out.
His mother gave a warm smile. "Your father and I are older and a little wiser, and our perspectives in life has changed and so has our priorities." She smiled at the azure blue eyes of her son. "We realized that we don't have to be the centre of the universe to feel important and we realize the definition of love." She smiled.
"Oh." Takeru sighed with relief. "That's the reason."
"You sound relieved."
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. "For a long time I thought you and daddy broke up with each other because of me."
"You?" Nancy gasped. "Why would you say that?" She asked with motherly concern.
"Well when I was younger I asked Matt why you and dad were fighting so much. He told me that he didn't know, but remembers that the fighting started shortly after I was born." Takeru sighed.
"Is that why you ran away from home?" His mother asked.
"Yeah." Takeru smiled. "I guess I should have found a better place to run away to then Kari's house." Takeru jested.
"I'm glad you didn't." Nancy smiled.
"Well I thought that if I ran away you and daddy would stop fighting." Takeru sighed. "That's a child's logic for you." He smiled to himself.
"Takeru, you know that your father and I didn't separated because of you."
"I know now." He sighed. "But for a long time I thought you did."
"Takeru trust me, your father and I have been fighting long before you were born. Matt was too young to remember, but we were fighting before his birth too. I guess by the time you were born Matt remembers us fighting." Nancy reassured her son's concerns.
"Do you still love daddy?"
"Yeah, your father and I still love each other." Nancy smiled.
"Then why don't you two get back together?" It has been a long dream of his for his parents to get back together.
"Takeru, it's not that easy."
"What do you mean? You just said that you and daddy still love each other."
"Son, sometimes that's just not enough. Sometimes there's just too much pain in the past to go on. Sometimes things just don't work out." Nancy Takaishi sighed. 'Why does these excuses sound so hollow?' She asked herself. "Do you need a drive to school?" His mother asked trying to change the subject.
"No." Takeru sighed taking the hint. "I think I'll walk." He sighed. "I need the fresh air." He sighed getting off his bed. "Thanks for the talk mom." He smiled kissing his mother on the cheek before leaving.
Nancy followed her son out of his room and watched him get ready to leave. 'My he's grown up so fast.' She thought reminiscing. "You take care okay? Don't be late." She told her son as he left.
"I might be a little late." Takeru confessed. "I might be walking Kari home."
"All right." His mother smiled. "Just have Kari call me when she gets home so I know that you're on your way." Nancy compromised.
"Okay." Takeru smiled leaving.
She followed after he son to the threshold to their apartment. She watched as Takeru walked towards the elevator. "Have fun." She yelled down the hall. Her son waved and smiled at her mother as the elevator doors closed.
There was only a slight breeze that served as Takeru's only companion that night. It was the perfect night to end the most beautiful day in his recollection. The full moon beamed its gentle glow unto the land winding down from its busy day. The ambient light of the city drowned all but two of the stars situated near the moon.
If he were conscious of what he was doing, Takeru would have felt odd walking down the streets of Odaiba in a tuxedo. He would feel even more uncomfortable with the people gawking at him like a Picasso painting.
Instead he was lost in a sea of thoughts. A fluctuation of wild musings ran through his mind like a violent storm. His thoughts about his parents and their relationship merged with the thoughts of his personal, internal crisis with Hikari and the redefinition of their relationship.
The last thing he wanted to happen was a repeat of history. He didn't want his possible romantic relationship with Hikari to end up like his parents or end up in a messy dissociation where both he and Hikari are no longer friends, like what happened to Taichi, Yamato, and Sora.
The laughter of children brought back happy memories of his youth. Things seem easier when they were younger. He remembers a time when he could say anything to Hikari without fear or care in the world, now as an older child words are more important and hold more meaning, and each word must be carefully thought before spoken. 'When was the first time I kept something form Kari?' He thought. He misses the naïveté and the serendipity of youth. 'Why are things so complicated?' He thought. 'Why can't things go back to the way they use to be?' He sighed reminiscing.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nine years, eight months ago...
"Where are we going?" Takeru smiled gleefully riding on his brother's shoulders.
"I told you four times already." Yamato keenly replied. "We're going to my friend Tai's house."
"Oh yeah." Takeru remembered. "Will he have toys to play?"
"Yeah."
"Cool." He laughed. "How much longer?"
"We're here now."
"Can I ring the doorbell?"
"Sure." Yamato smiled.
"Yea!" Takeru gleefully leaned towards the doorbell and pressed it. Seconds later Taichi opened the door.
"Hey Tai."
"Hi Matt, what's that growing on your head?" Taichi teased.
"Oh that's Takeru, he's my brother." Yamato introduced.
"Hi!" Takeru cheerfully greeted.
"Hi Takeru."
"I hope he could come over, my mom and dad had to work and I had to bring him along." Yamato explained.
"Sure, no problem." Taichi said. "How old is he?"
"Three." Takeru smiled showing three fingers.
"Cool, my sister Hikari is three." Taichi smiled. "Com'on in I'll introduce you." Taichi said leading them further into his house. "Hey Hikari I have a new friend for you to play with."
Hikari ran out of her room to where the three boys were standing with her whistle in her mouth. Yamato brought his brother off his shoulders and placed him in front of Hikari.
"Hi!" Takeru sheepishly greeted. In response Hikari tweeted through her whistle. "Cool whistle."
"Cool hat." Hikari smiled dropping the whistle from her mouth.
"Thanks." They said in unison. They started laughing at their response.
Taichi and Yamato looked at each other trying to figure out the humour of the situation. "Takeru, this is Hikari, my sister." Taichi introduced.
"Hi 'kari."
"No Takeru, her name is Hikari." Yamato corrected.
"That's what I said." He said looking at his brother, somewhat confused.
"That's okay he can call me Kari if I can call you...um...T.K."
"Sure." Takeru shrugged his shoulder carelessly.
"All right." Taichi sighed. "Kari why don't you bring T.K. into our room and play." He suggested. "While Matt and I play video games out here."
"I said HE can call me Kari." She said pointed to her new friend.
"Yeah!" Takeru added. "And SHE can call me T.K."
"All right, sorry." Taichi sighed.
"Wanna play?" Hikari asked.
"Sure." Takeru replied following his new friend into her room. The room was simple, a desk, a drawer, and a bunk bed. "Cool kitty." Takeru said rushing towards the cat and petted it.
"His name is Miko." Hikari introduced.
"Hi Miko, my name is T.K." The cat affectionately purred back.
"He likes you." Hikari reiterated.
"You think?"
"Yeah, he usually scratches people." Hikari said joining her new friend in playing with her cat. "Do you know what Tai told me?"
"What?"
"Cats always land on their feet."
"Really?" Takeru eyes dilated with interested. "Have you seen it?"
"No." Hikari confessed.
"Do you wanna try?"
"Sure." Hikari smiled. "But how?"
"I have an idea." Takeru said picking up the cat and placing it on the lower bed on the bunk.
"Now what?"
"We go to the other side of the room and call Miko to come over."
"Good idea." Hikari smiled, running to the opposite side of the room. In unison they called the cat over and with ease the cat jumped down landing on its feet. "Hey Miko did it!" Hikari cheered running towards the cat.
"That looks too easy." Takeru sighed with a hint of disappointment.
"Yeah, you're right." Hikari sighed. "Wanna try it higher?" Hikari smiled looking at Takeru.
"Higher?" He asked with a hint of confusion. Takeru watched Hikari pointed to the top bunk. "Good idea."
The ladder was a challenge for the two three-year-olds to navigate, especially with a cat that was reluctant to climb up with them. It took about fifteen minutes for the two of them to accomplish this task. "Wow that was tough." Hikari sighed.
"Yeah." Takeru agreed.
They ran to the opposite side of the room and in unison they called the cat over and with greater difficulty the cat jumped down still landing on its feet. "Hey Miko did it again!" Hikari cheered running towards the cat. "Wanna try higher?"
"Higher?" Takeru sighed. "What's higher then the top of the bunk bed?"
"I don't know." Hikari sighed.
They looked around the room and in the corner of Takeru's eyes he saw the balcony. "I know!" Takeru replied excitedly. "What about the balcony."
The two kids ran outside, they got on their tiptoes and looked down. "I don't know it's really high." Hikari sighed. "I hope Miko doesn't get hurt." Hikari sighed handing over her cat to Takeru.
"Me too." Takeru sighed dropping the cat. Miko let out a horrific scream that sent shivers down their spine.
"What's going on here?" Taichi and Yamato came rushing in.
The two quickly turned around hiding their hands behind their backs, trying to hide their deed. "Nothing." Takeru quickly defended.
"Yeah, we didn't throw Miko over the balcony."
"You throw Miko over the balcony!" Taichi freaked rushing towards the railing and peered over to see if his suspicions were correct.
"I said we didn't throw Miko over the balcony!" Hikari corrected.
"Then what is he doing down on the ground there?" Taichi asked.
"Did he land on his feet?" The kids said in unison peering over the railing.
"Hey I thought you kids didn't threw the cat over." Yamato said crossly.
The two kids looked at each other. "Oops." They blushed. The two looked at their older brothers. They knew they were in trouble.
* * * * * * * * * *
'Ah the good old days.' Takeru smiled to himself. He unconsciously turned into the school like he did for the past two years of his life. Yet with all that familiarity it felt odd going to school at night, he felt like he was breaking in. Takeru thought it was silly to think like that; two years ago he would break in all the time with the other Digidestined to use the computer lab to get into the Digital World.
He meandered into the gymnasium and was in awe by its sudden metamorphosis. Instead of the cold, republican, gymnasium, it was warm and chaotically decorated in a multitude of streamers and warm colours with candles romantically lit everywhere. Music echoed throughout the room instead of the customary eerie silence. "Wow." He said to himself.
"Glad you like it." A girl with blue eyes and blond hair smiled.
"Oh hey, Chastity." Takeru replied. "You did a really good job here." He complimented. Chastity Shiozaki, the head cheerleader, head of the formal committee, and unbeknownst to Takeru one of the many girls in the school who has a crush on him.
"Thank you, we've worked really hard on it."
"It shows." Takeru smiled searching the gymnasium for Hikari, but to Chastity she thought he was admiring her handiwork.
"So do you want to dance?" She boldly asked.
"What?" Takeru gasped. "I...I...don't really know how to dance." He stuttered, feeling his face turning red.
"Come on it's easy." She said pulling Takeru to the dance floor. "You put your hand on my hip here, and hold my hand here." Chastity directed. "Now you lead me in the direction you want to take me." She directed.
Being forced into a dance, he slowly swayed with Chastity while looking around the gymnasium for Hikari. Occupied while dancing Takeru sluggishly headed to his right, she to the left, and he ended up stepping on her foot. "I'm sorry." He blushed realizing that he had to pay attention.
"That's okay." Chastity smiled. "Relax, you're too tense." She advised. Takeru took her suggested and relaxed taking a deep breath and looked at into her sapphire blue eyes giving up his search for Hikari, she obviously wasn't there yet. "There that's better." She smiled.
"Thanks." Takeru said uncomfortably. He didn't know what to say to her. 'What do you usually talk about with her?' He thought to himself. Basketball and school were the only answers that came to him. 'No.' He sighed. He didn't feel right talking about school or basketball in this social context. "So what do you have plan for the summer?" Takeru asked the first thing that crossed his mind.
"Well glad you asked..." Chastity smiled.
Takeru pretended to listen to her giving a nod or give an affirmative grunt now and then. 'How long is this song?' He thought. 'No that's insensitive.' He corrected and listened to the rest of her plans for the summer. Shortly after she finished the song ended. "Well I hope you have fun." Takeru smiled stopping the dance. "Thanks for the dance." He said backing up. "Hope to see you soon." He smiled heading to the refreshment table.
"So many girls, so little time." Hikari's mocking voice came from behind.
Takeru smiled turning around to see her. "Wow." He exclaimed having his breath taking away by her beauty. His breath was not the only thing that went, but his voice too. Hikari saw his mouth moving, but nothing was coming out.
She smiled and suppressed a chuckle. "T.K., your mouth is moving, but nothing's coming out." Hikari said placing her index finger on his lip.
Takeru blushed and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to say that you're ravishing." Takeru smiled.
"Thank you." She smiled. "You look dapper yourself." Hikari complemented back taking Takeru's drink and took a sip.
"Compared to you I'm just dirt." Takeru flirted.
"Flatter." She smiled playfully hitting Takeru.
Takeru smiled at her remark. 'God she looks beautiful.' He thought still enticed by her beauty. A new slow song suddenly started, interrupting his thoughts. "Care to dance?" Takeru asked.
"Love to." She smiled putting her cup down.
Takeru slowly escorted her onto the dance floor gently holding her hand. They embraced, locking their eyes at each other. He held her gently placing one hand on the small of her back and clasping the other with her hand. His heart started to beat faster, the environment suddenly turned warm.
Hikari looked into his blue eyes, being lost in them. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but all she could see was her feelings for him. Not the affections associated with a best friend, but the feelings for a lover, the same feelings she had that morning in the elevator. She was drowning in the pools of royal blue eyes.
Unconsciously she ran her fingers through his flaxen hair. 'What am I doing?' Hikari thought coming out of her trance. 'He's my best friend and has feelings for another girl.' She quickly took her fingers out of his hair. "I like what you done with your hair." She smiled giving the first excuse that ran through her mind.
"Really? My mother did it." Takeru smiled. "It is called styling mousse."
"Takeru Takaishi having styling mousse in his hair, what is this universe coming to." Hikari teased. "Your mother forgot your top hat didn't she?"
"Yeah." Takeru smiled. "Is it that obvious?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She answered enigmatically. "I really like it." Hikari smiled. "You should wear your hair like this more often."
"You think?" Takeru hinted.
She nodded in affirmation. In her peripheral vision she saw Chastity Shiozaki looking at them like a hawk. "Don't look now, but I think Chastity's looking at us." Hikari whispered into his ear.
"Oh, she is." Takeru gasped.
"She's not the girl you like is she?" Hikari noted.
Takeru heart skipped a beat, frighten that she found out his secret feelings for her. He then realized that she was still oblivious to whom the girl was. "Why would you say that?" He asked interested in her reasons.
"Well, you ran away from her from the dance floor when the song finished." Hikari pointed out. "Am I right?"
"Maybe? Wouldn't you like to know?" He hinted for both possibilities. Secretly, Takeru noted her logic and smiled to himself. 'She knows me so well.' He sighed.
"So who is this girl that has capture your heart?"
"Actually to tell you the truth, the girl I like is..."
"Hey T.P. get your hands off my girl!" Daisuke bellowed from the entrance.
"How did I know that would happened?" Takeru sighed above a whisper.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Takeru sighed. It seems that the universe is conspiring against him. Every time he has the courage to tell Hikari his feelings Daisuke would interrupt him just before he was about to tell her, either directly or indirectly. This time was no exception.
The senior class gasped darting their attention towards Daisuke, he blushed at his outburst. They sighed in unison and stopped their dance mid-song and sauntered towards the ever-boisterous Daisuke Motomiya.
In the corner of his eye he noticed that Hikari was fuming. "Kari, please don't make a scene." Takeru whispered.
She was shocked to hear him talk calmly through the rather embarrassing scene. 'Actually, T.K. has always been a steady rock.' Hikari considered her best friend's words. 'Could it be that he's found someone else? Is that why he doesn't get angry when Davis call me his?' She was hurt by that thought. 'No, I have to be happy for him if he and she gets together, whoever she is.' She sighed sadly. "You're right." She finally replied. "Thanks for not letting me make a bad scene worse." Hikari smiled. "Thanks for being a good friend and for protecting my honour." She sighed.
"Yeah, no problem." Takeru sighed. "What are friends for?" His heart cracked deeper when he asked the rhetorical question. 'Is that how she really feels towards me...a good friend?' He allowed that doubt to deepen his wound. 'Would she change her mind if I told her my feelings?'
"Hey Kari you wanna dance?" Daisuke asked oblivious to what he had done.
Takeru could see Hikari's eyes burn with anger. "No now." She whispered. "I have to go to the washroom." She lied storming out of the gymnasium.
"Hey Kari." Ken smiled entering the gymnasium. She unapologetically pushed Ken out of the way. "You look great." He said half to himself. Ken walked into the gymnasium. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked oblivious to what had happened earlier.
"No Ken." Takeru sighed. "But ask Davis here."
"What did you do Davis?" Ken probed.
"Shut up, Ichijouji." Ken exasperated leaving his friends at the entrance.
"This is going to be an interesting formal." Ken sighed ominously.
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. "I'm going to check up on Kari." He said leaving the gymnasium.
"Interesting indeed." Ken sighed.
The formal was like most typical dances in elementary school. The boys would lean against the wall on one side of the room and the girls would do the same on the opposite wall.
Occasionally a boy would venture across the mental precipice that they all imagine and asked a girl he liked to dance. If successful the boys would secretly cheer for his victory and the girls would hope that they would be the next person to be asked. If unsuccessful the girls would giggle at the attempt and the boys would try to build his ego back.
Ken was trying to diffuse Daisuke anger in one corner of the gymnasium and on the other side; Takeru was trying to do the same thing with Hikari. Near the end of the night the dance was picking up.
"Where are you going?" Ken asked.
"To apologize to Kari and ask her to dance." Daisuke sighed leaving his friend's presence. He was in the middle of the gymnasium when an announcement was made.
"All right, boys and girls." Mr. Nakamura, the principal of Odaiba Elementary announced. Everyone stopped what he or she were doing and watched intently at him. "It's time to announce the king and queen of the formal." A wave of excitement suddenly overwhelmed the gymnasium. "The king of the formal is...Daisuke Motomiya." He said opening the envelope.
"What?" He gasped. For the first time in his life he was flabbergasted at what he heard. He slowly, but steadily headed towards the principal where Chastity Shiozaki placed the royal robe around his neck and a crown on his head.
"And for the queen..."
'Please, please, please.' Daisuke hoped, prayed that it would be...
"Hikari Kamiya."
"Yes." Daisuke cheered to himself.
Hikari looked at Takeru with a surprised look. Takeru smiled in return. "Go on." He smiled. "Your public is awaiting you, you're majesty." He teased watching her walked towards the stage to accept her cloak and tiara.
"And now for the king and queen dance."
'Oh great.' Takeru sighed.
Daisuke escorted Hikari toward the centre of the gymnasium and held her. The music struck and the slowly waltzed to the song.
'Isn't Romantic.' Takeru thought. 'Why does it have to be that song?' He sighed meandering his way towards Ken.
Daisuke looked into Hikari eyes and downed in its warmth. "Maybe this is fate." He smiled. "Telling us that we are meant to be together." Daisuke suggested.
"Well Davis, you know what they say." Hikari smiled. "Fate can sometimes be blind." Daisuke felt crestfallen, she noticed it. "I forgive you Davis." Hikari whispered.
"Really?" He smiled.
"Yeah." She confessed. "I took it out of proportion."
"I'm sorry for embarrassing you." Daisuke sighed. "I didn't mean to. It's just that sometimes I lose control of my feelings." He sighed.
"Oh Davis." Hikari sighed. "Sometimes you're just too much." She smiled.
"So you really do forgive me?"
"Yeah, just don't do it again." Hikari smiled.
"Hey Kari I wanted to ask you something..."
The song ended before Daisuke could finish his sentence. Hikari had a gut feeling what he wanted to asked her and quickly escorted him towards Takeru and Ken were talking. "Hey Ken, wanna dance?" Hikari asked.
"Sure." Ken smiled, heading towards the dance floor.
"Oh." Daisuke groaned punching the wall.
"What's wrong?" Takeru asked.
"Nothing." He pouted.
"All right, if you say so." Takeru sighed.
They remained silent watching Ken and Hikari dancing. Takeru knew that it was rather innocent, but he wasn't sure if Daisuke felt the same way. He looked at him and saw that he was angry. 'Why can't Davis and I be amicable with each other?' He sighed. 'Especially, after everything we experienced together in the Digital World?' He thought. 'I guess we will always be this way, until Kari chooses who she wants to be with.' Takeru sighed returning his attention to the dancing pair.
Daisuke tried to suppress his anger, and his jealousy towards Takeru. 'Why do I feel this way?' He thought. Daisuke knew that Hikari's dance with Ken was nothing to worry about; he figured that she didn't want to play favourites with her friends. She had already danced with T.K., himself, and now Ken. His main concern was with Takeru. 'What's so special about him?' He thought. 'Just because they know each other longer and share more time together in the Digital World together doesn't mean Kari should like me any less.' He sighed. 'But why does she always side with T.K.?"
The song ended and they headed towards where Daisuke and Takeru were standing. "Thanks for the dance." Hikari smiled. "I didn't know you know how to dance."
"Its rather simple, but interesting mathematics." Ken sighed.
"Spoken like a true valedictorian." Hikari smiled.
Ken blushed at the comment. "I wonder what's going on there?" He asked rhetorically looking at both Daisuke and Takeru.
"I don't know." Hikari sighed. "I wonder why they can't be amicable together?" She asked rhetorically.
"I think Davis still sees T.K. as a threat to win your affections."
"That's silly." Hikari smirked. "T.K. and I are just friends, why can't he see that?" She sighed. "I know T.K. wants to be Davis' friend, but I just can't see why Davis doesn't want to be friends with T.K." She sighed.
'I wouldn't be too sure of that.' Ken thought to himself. He had had suspicions that Takeru does have feelings for Hikari and Daisuke's reactions are justified, but it was only his private theory.
"All right kids, time for the last dance!" Mr. Nakamura announced. "Ladies' choice." He added.
"Com'on T.K." Hikari smiled.
Takeru blushed and took her hand. They walked towards the centre of the gymnasium and started dancing. "Thanks for dancing with me." Hikari smiled. "I know I'm not the girl you like, but at least I don't have to dance with Davis again." She sighed.
"No problem." Takeru smiled. "Is he really that bad?"
"No, it's not that." Hikari sighed. "It's just that I think Davis was about to ask me out again?" She sighed.
"What so different about that?" Takeru sighed. "He's been asking you out every week for the better part of two years." He pointed out.
"I know...it's just that he's wearing me down." Hikari sighed. "Do you think I'm too mean not to go out with him?" She asked.
Takeru debated to himself. 'I could tell her no and she won't go out with him, but then she has been a little rough on him.' He thought. 'If I answer yes, I could lose her to him.' He sighed. Takeru looked into her eyes and knew that he had to tell the truth. "A little." Takeru sighed above a whisper; the words emanated difficulty through his mouth.
"So you think I should go out with him?" She asked.
Takeru couldn't even bare the pain with answering that question. "I don't think I'm the right person to ask." He replied trying to hide his feeling and his tears.
"And who is?" She smiled. "My brother? Please he'll kill Davis before he could ask me out again." Hikari smiled. "Besides, you're my best friend, and I don't feel comfortable talking about this with Ken." She pointed out.
'I can't stand this much longer.' His eyes became watery; he wanted to cry. 'Not in front of Kari.' He reminded himself. Takeru looked into her brown eyes and was compelled to tell her an honest answer. 'What would I like Davis to say if the situation between Davis and I are switched?' He thought. "Kari, go out with him if you want to, don't do it if you're pressured, or feel sorry for him. Davis deserves better than that and so do you."
Hikari smiled. "You're right." Letting her fingers run through his blond hair. "Thanks for the great advise." She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and rested her head on his torso.
Takeru pulled her in closer and smelled her lilac and lavender hair, his heart beating harder and faster. "Kari, there's something I want to tell you." He sighed. "Could we talk after the dance...alone?" Takeru asked, his voice cracked from both sadness and anxiousness.
"Why can't you tell me now?" She lifted her head and gazed into his blue eyes.
"It's personal." He lied. The truth of the matter was he was on the brink of tears and couldn't tell her his feelings.
"Okay." She smiled, resting her head back on his torso.
They held each other intimately dancing to an ambient song. 'This seems perfect.' Takeru asked. 'But has Kari only sees me as a friend and moved on to Davis?' He thought.
Hikari played with the lapel on his tuxedo thinking how perfect this felt. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of passion hit her, the same feeling that she had earlier that morning. 'No this is wrong.' She sighed. 'T.K. is my friend and likes someone else.' She sighed.
They were lost in their private thoughts, in their own world to have known that the music had stopped and the formal was over. Their thoughts consumed them so much that the exodus of students leaving didn't invade their world.
"Mr. Takaishi, Miss. Kamiya." A voice interrupted them. "The dance is over."
"Oh." They blushed in unison letting go of each other. They looked around the gymnasium and saw that almost everyone was gone. Ken and Daisuke was nowhere to be seen either.
"I guess we should be going." Takeru blushed to Mr. Nakamura, remembering all his lectures earlier that afternoon when he was in detention.
"I think that's a good idea, Mr. Takaishi." He said sternly.
The two quickly rushed out of the gymnasium where crowds of students were looking at them. "I have to go to the washroom." Hikari whispered to him.
"All right. I'll wait outside." Takeru smiled heading for the exit.
* * * * * * * * * *
In the darkness of the stairwell sat a very sad, very crushed, very broken-hearted Daisuke Motomiya. "Why doesn't she like me?" He whimpered resting his arms on his knees and burying his head in the hollow of his arms to dry his flowing tears.
For as long as he could remember he had always liked Hikari Kamiya, he didn't know it then, but if he knew that one-day he would make a fool of himself for her, he might reconsider his feelings. 'Probably not.' He sighed whipping his tear on his arms.
For a long time he had watched her and saw how much she loved her brother, being Taichi's protégé was just happenstance, and he thought Hikari would like him because of their similarities. His love of soccer has always been with him. His mother claimed that he learned how to kicked a soccer ball before he learned to walk. It was inevitable that they became on the same team, later become good friends, and ultimately sharing the emblem of courage in the Digital World.
'Yet that didn't make any difference.' He thought reminiscing of a time where promises were kept, crushed were real and relationships always lived happily ever after. 'What happened to those time?' He sighed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Five years ago...
'What in hell is the world coming to?' An eight-year-old Daisuke thought. He world was coming to an end, the weather was going crazy, a blanket of fog covering the city, monsters was attacking, ghosts coming to his house dragging him to the Convention Centre where a plethora of children were kept crying for their parents.
In the mist of the chaos Daisuke kept his calm very well, he was a more curious child then, which got him to loads of trouble and this day would be a dozy for him. The line seemed endless and guarded well with ghosts, which he would later know as Bakemon.
"I want my mommy!" The girl behind him cried.
Daisuke turned around to look at her. "Be quiet or the ghost will come." He hushed at the girl. The little girl cried even the louder.
"Quiet!" The Bakemon demanded. "Keep moving! Our master wants to see you."
'Master?' The curious Daisuke sighed. 'Wonder who's he's talking about?' He thought closing the gap between the boy in front of him. The girl for the time being kept her tears in.
Daisuke would find out soon. He approached the inner sanctum of the Convention Centre and in the distance he saw a tall, mysterious man well dressed and in a flowing black cape, wearing a pink mask. 'Is that their master?' Daisuke thought. 'Kinda looks like Count Dracula.' He sighed.
As he approached closer he saw a small white cat standing on its hind legs, wearing yellow claw gloves shaking its head reluctantly as each child pass them. 'Funny cat.' He thought. 'I think Count Dracula is asking her something.' He sighed. 'Wonder why he only wants children?' Daisuke thought.
They approached closer to the point of hearing distance. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" The vampire asked.
'Gatomon? Is that the cat's name? And who and what's this Eighth Child?' Daisuke thought with confusion. 'It seems like every answer I get, more question come up.' He thought.
"No." The cat replied.
'The cat could talk!' Daisuke freaked out. This was the first time he ever felt scared ever since the world has been thrown into chaos. 'What is the world coming to?' He thought, this time with more fear. The vampire asked the same question to the boy in front of him.
Now it was his turn. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" The cat shook her head to answer the negative. Daisuke was pushed aside and watch the girl behind him approached the vampire and cat. In frustration the vampire grabbed the girl. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" He asked, holding the trembling child. Gatomon shook her head. "Are you sure, because if you're lying I'll destroy everyone in here." He threatened; the screams of the children increased with his threat, he revelled in it.
Gatomon looked up at him with glaring eyes, ignoring the rising, ambient cries of the children. The silence was unbearable for Daisuke that he wanted to scream calling the vampire every bad name he could remember.
A bat with a big head flew in. "Myotismon! You'll love this boss I found the Eighth Digidestined." The bat smiled evilly.
'A giant bat with wings talking?' He gasped. 'Why would that surprise me? Talking ghost, talking cat, why not talking bats?' He listened as their conversation continued. 'Myotismon? Is that Count Dracula's name?' Daisuke thought with a wave of fear overcoming him.
Myotismon looked at the little bowling ball with wings, "You did?!"
"What?! How'd he do it?" An older girl with long brown hair wearing her pink pyjamas wondered (A girl Daisuke would soon know as Mimi Tachikawa). It was the first time Daisuke noticed her, Mimi was several kids behind him in the line.
"Oh no, not Kari," Gatomon looked down with worry.
'Kari? Is she the eighth child?' He thought overhearing the cat.
"Hear that? It's over." Myotismon bellows in triumph. Gatomon angrily looked at him while Myotismon told the talking bat that he has no need for the kids.
"Right, what should I do to them oh, evil one?" The bat asked in anticipation, smiling gleefully.
"Make them go to sleep, I'll find a way to deal with them later." With that Myotismon levitates and flew off, with Gatomon behind being carried by his bats.
'Oh no you don't.' Daisuke thought quickly hiding himself in a corner of the room. A fine mist covered the Convention Centre and the kids that were touched, fall down...fast asleep. 'Wow what power.' He thought with fear. Daisuke waited until everyone was asleep before he made his escape.
Daisuke ran towards the entrance where he witnessed a group of Bakemon being destroyed by a blazing ball of inferno. 'What's going on?' He gasped.
"They didn't stand a ghost of a chance!" The boy, whom he would know as Taichi congratulated his digimon, the Tyrannosaurus Rex that he would later come to know as Greymon.
Daisuke suddenly heard someone coming from behind him. 'Could it be Myotismon?' He thought running to hide. It wasn't the vampire, but Mimi running out when she heard the commotion and stepped out of the room. 'How did she wake up?' He thought remembering seeing her engulfed in the sleeping mist.
"Tai you made it inside!" Mimi cried with joy.
"Mimi, where are the others?" Tai asks.
"They're all fast asleep, Myotismon put them all under some kind of spell; since he found the Eighth Child." Mimi explains.
'They looking for the eight child too?' Daisuke thought, still hiding. 'This mystery is getting more and more complicated.' He sighed. 'I have to find this eight child.' He thought.
Tai was shocked by the news, "Oh no, that means he has Kari!"
"Kari?" Mimi asked, wondering what Tai is talking about.
"Come on let's go."
'Kari there's that name again. She is the eighth child!' Daisuke thought smiling. Finally, he knew a part of the puzzle. 'Wonder where they're going?' He thought. He looked into the distance and saw the vampire heading towards the communications Tower of the television station.
'Gotta get there fast.' Daisuke thought seeing an unlocked bicycle.
Moments later...
He was out of breath when he got to the television studio. He quickly parked the stolen bicycle on the side of the building. 'I don't think the kid would mind.' He reasoned.
'I hope I'm in the right place.' Daisuke sighed. He ventured inside the television studio while the children were occupied with the arrival of an older blue haired kid, and a small blond hair kid dressed in green with a funny hat. He would later learn their names, Jou and Takeru, respectively.
They were arguing about the allegiance of the short man dressed like a wizard. He looked up at the Communications Tower and saw the fog was thicker there. 'I bet the eight child is there.' He sighed sneaking into the Television Centre.
Inside, he meandered through the ghosts and managed to reach the top where he witnessed a bigger ghost dressed in a red cloak holding up his golden scythe. A brown hair girl was standing there with a whistle around her neck. His heart jumped. 'Is that Kari?' His heart started to flutter. 'Whoever she is, she's so brave and beautiful.' He admired. 'Where's Myotismon? Did I beat him here?' He thought.
Suddenly with that thought bats entered the area where Kari stood. Myotismon slowly lowered himself down. "I've got you my pretty and your little cat too!" He said holding Gatomon. Hikari gasped. "Little girl, why have you chosen to show yourself to me? Do you have any idea what's about to happen to you?" Myotismon asks icily.
"Yeah. I guess."
'Wow she's so brave.' He thought having all ready fallen for her.
"Then why?"
"Cause you were hurting all those people; someone had to stop you from hurting innocent people!" Kari said with courage.
Myotismon looked at the small girl and was surprised by her bravery. "My, what a thoughtful little girl you are." He smiled his insidious grin. "Why won't you look at the Eighth Child's face?" Myotismon asked Gatomon. Her face still turned away from Kari.
"Because she's not the Eighth Child. Who is she? I've never seen her in my life." Gatomon lied.
"Is that right?" Myotismon smiled snapping his fingers. The talking bat flew towards Kari and pulling her hair.
"Kari NO!" Gatomon yelled trying to protect Kari.
"Kari...interesting you know her name since you never met her before."
"Hurry, it's up here." A voice announced another person's presence. It was the kids outside the Television Studio.
Daisuke sensed a battle coming. 'Oh no, better go.' He thought quickly leaving the station. Daisuke sneaked past the kids that came up and Myotismon. It was a good thing they were busy fighting each other to notice that he was there.
* * * * * * * * * *
His tears burned at the memory when he first met Hikari. He was infatuated her since the day he saw her. "Maybe my sister is right." He silently sobbed. "Maybe she does like T.K." Hot tears ran down his cheeks, knowing for the first time that Hikari didn't return the feelings he has for her. "I've been such a fool." He sobbed resting his head in the hollow of his arms. "Why?" He wept silently.
"Davis?" Hikari's angelic voice came interrupting his solitude.
"Leave me alone!" Daisuke waned defensively drying his tears, turning his back to her. He didn't want to see her, if he did; he feared that he couldn't control his tears.
"You're crying." Hikari observed joining him on the stairwell and gently putting her hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Just leave me alone!" Daisuke retracted. "Please." He begged.
"Are you sure you want to be alone?" Hikari asked rhetorically. "I can't leave my friend when he's down."
"Just go!" He demanded, hiding his face and tears from her.
"All right." She sighed. "I'll be there when and if you need to talk." She offered. Hikari got up and head towards the front of the school, where Takeru was waiting, albeit with some reluctance. Innately, she could never leave her friends when they're hurting, but what can she do if they refuse her help.
"Why?" Daisuke's voice startled her flight.
Confused, Hikari stopped in her tracks. "Pardon?" She asked with a hint of puzzlement. She turned slowly, oblivious to why he asked that question and approached him sitting beside him.
"You don't know, do you?" He scoffed seeing Hikari shaking her head through his tears, flabbergasted at what she saw. "Why don't you like me?" He asked above a whisper.
"Who says I don't like you?" Hikari sighed, feeling sorry for causing him to come to tears.
"You did." He said above a whisper.
"I did." She gasped. "When?"
"Well not directly." He said drying his cheeks. Daisuke thought of a why he could explain the raging feelings inside. "You choose T.K. for the last dance and not me." He sighed. 'Man that sounded childish - hey wait a minute I am a kid.' He thought instantly regretting what he said.
"Oh that." Hikari sighed. "You shouldn't read too much into it. I just did it because I needed to talk to T.K." Hikari replied giving the half-truth. "I'm sorry for hurting you, I didn't mean too." She sighed.
"Then what about the other times?" Daisuke asked bitterly.
"Other times?"
"The other times you sided with T.K. over me." Daisuke sighed.
"Honestly?" Hikari asked, trying to sort through her answer.
"Yeah."
"Sometimes you're just so irritating." Hikari sighed.
"Oh great, now I'm irritating." Daisuke exasperated.
"No, that's not what I meant." Hikari sighed. "Sometimes the way you show your affections for me, just makes me so frustrated and to be honest, it's something I didn't want to deal with right there and then." She sighed. "I don't know if this making any sense..."
"Yeah, it does." Daisuke sighed. "Sometimes I do go overboard, and do things that backfires in my face. It's just that...it's just that I don't think you'll like me if I didn't." He said the last part above a whisper.
"Who said I wouldn't?"
"Hikari Kamiya, the most beautiful girl in the school, the bearer of the digimantle of light, and the angel of light in the dark void I call my life." Daisuke pointed out. "You deserve everything I could give and more."
"What I deserve is the truth." Hikari pointed out. She looked at Daisuke and saw that he was oblivious to what she was thinking. "Davis, let's just say, hypothetically, I do fall in love with you. The person you think I deserve. I'll be falling in love with a lie, and sooner or later, a lie reveals itself. How would it make me feel to find out that the same man I love is not the man I fell in love with?" Hikari pointed out.
"You're right, I don't deserve you." Daisuke sulked getting ready to leave.
Hikari pulled him gently back down towards her. "No, Davis, the truth of the matter is I don't deserve you. I don't deserve your acclamation, adoration, or glorification." She told him bluntly. "You deserve someone who adores you as much as you adore her." Hikari pointed out. "I'm not that girl."
"You're all the girl that I want."
Hikari blushed at the comment. "Oh, Davis, you're so incorrigible." She said putting her head on his shoulder. "If you really want to win my heart you don't have to try so hard and you don't have to be so possessive, especially around T.K." Hikari sighed.
"Really?" He sounded surprised putting his arm around her.
"Yeah, you know the dozen roses you put in my locker this morning?" She asked rhetorically. "That's the sort of things that could win my heart." Hikari sighed. "I don't need all the publicity or the world's awareness of our relationship. I'm a woman of simple needs and wants."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"So you'll be my girlfriend?"
Hikari bolted up from his shoulder looking into his brown eyes. "There you go again trying too hard." She exasperated.
"All right." He sighed. "How about a date?"
"That's better." Hikari smiled looking into his eyes. 'Look at him, he looks so hopeful. How can I break his heart?' She thought. "I'm sorry, I can't." She did it regardless.
"Why not?" Daisuke asked looking into her eyes. An epiphany hit him. "Oh, I see." The idea broke his heart. "So you do like T.K.?" He sighed.
"No, that's not the reason." Hikari sighed. "Our relationship is platonic."
"You two radioactive?"
Hikari suppressed a chuckle and smiled. "No Davis, that's plutonium." She couldn't help but to give a slight giggle.
"I knew that."
She suppressed a smile and reiterated her point. "T.K. and I are just friends, best friends." Hikari pointed out.
"Then you're not attracted to T.K.?" Daisuke pointed out.
Hikari let that question float in her mind for a bit. "I would be lying if I told you that I'm not attracted to him, but at the end of the day, T.K. and I are just friends. We have been friends since we were three; there's no surprise, for Gennai sakes we've even seen each other naked..."
"You have?!?"
Hikari chuckled at his response. "It's rather innocent Davis, we were three and we took baths together." She rationalized her statement, placing her hand on his thigh. "The point is T.K. and I are just friends, besides he likes someone else." She added.
"Really? Who?"
Daisuke could see the gears in her head rolling, trying to find the name. "I don't know, every time he tries to tell me we get interrupted." Hikari confessed. "Please don't tell him I told you, I don't think he wants anyone to know." Hikari sighed.
"I won't." Daisuke promised. "So why won't you go out with me?"
"Davis, just leave it." Hikari sighed wanting to run.
"I need a reason." Daisuke said grabbing her arm gently, forcing her to come back. "I deserve the truth too." Hikari looked into his eyes and exasperated.
"That's really dirty, using what I told you against me." She pointed out sitting back down beside him.
"I learn from the best." Daisuke smiled.
"The truth of the matter is...you scare me."
"I what?"
"You are so certain that you like me, before knowing who I really am. You know that whole heatedly without any doubt, without hesitation or indecision. How can you be so sure that I am the one?" Hikari asked.
"I'm not." Daisuke confessed. "But it doesn't change how I feel for you. Look Kari, I'm not asking you to marry me, not yet any ways, just one date."
"I don't know." Hikari sighed.
"Hey, I'm scared too." Daisuke confessed.
"You are?"
"Yeah." Daisuke confessed. "We're about to take our relationship to the next step, who wouldn't be scared, but we can't run away from everything we are scared of, or we'll miss out on the best things out of life. Like a date with me." He smiled. "Com'on just one date and I promise not to go overboard."
"Daisuke Motomiya not go overboard? That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one." Hikari sighed to herself.
"Oh great, first you make me cry, then you call me irritating, and now you're calling me names." Daisuke pouted.
"No Davis, an oxymoron is...Never mind, I'm sorry for calling you a name."
"You can make it up by going out with me." Daisuke smiled.
"You are relentless aren't you?" Hikari asked rhetorically. She looked into his puppy dog eyes. "You promise you won't make a big deal about it?"
"Scout's honour." Daisuke smiled giving the scout's salute with a huge grin on his face.
Hikari suppressed a smile and corrected his salute. "Some boy scout, getting your salute wrong and everything." Daisuke blushed at the discovery of his deceit. "All right, one date." Hikari sighed.
"All right!" Daisuke jumped up screaming. "I can't wait to tell..."
"Davis." Hikari said sternly, her arms crossed around her chest.
"No one, absolutely, positively no one." He smiled blushing remembering his promise.
"Com'on, it's late and I have to get home." Hikari smiled getting up.
"I could walk you home if you like." Daisuke offered following her.
"That's okay." Hikari sighed. "T.K. is walking me home."
"Oh." Daisuke felt crestfallen.
Hikari looked at him and had compassion on him. "Actually, it is better if you walk me home, it is on your way." Hikari sighed.
They walked arm in arm through the empty corridors of the school and exited the building where Takeru was waiting for Hikari. The blond hair boy was obviously nervous. He had been pacing and contemplating how he could tell her his feelings. He heard the doors open and put a huge grimace on his face.
"There you are!" Takeru exclaimed, his smile died when he saw the sight of Daisuke. "I thought you fell in the toilet or something." His voice turned nonchalantly at the sight of Daisuke.
"I almost did." Hikari teased back. "Thanks for waiting, but if you don't mind, Davis is going to walk me home, it's late and it is out of the way for you." Hikari pointed out.
"I don't mind."
"Your mother would."
Takeru sighed taking a deep breath. "Actually the reason I wanted to walk you home is to talk to you about something." He confessed.
"Well what is it?"
He looked at Hikari smiling and then at Daisuke's face. They were both waiting to hear his news. "In private." He stressed.
"Can it wait? It is getting late."
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. It was difficult to tell his feelings to Hikari when he was alone, but in front of Daisuke it would be impossible. "It's not important." He lied.
"Thanks for waiting." Hikari smiled kissing him on the cheek.
"Good night." He said above a whisper. She smiled back and walked arm and arm with Daisuke. He was crestfallen at the sight of Daisuke taking off his coat and draping it around Hikari's shoulders. He stood there in the middle of the night, cold, freezing, and late, but inside he felt colder. "Why do I get the feeling that I lost her?" He sighed to himself walking away.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to Digimon: Digital Monster Animated Series is not my invention and is the property of Toei Animation, Bandi, and Saban Entertainment. [2] Daisuke's flashback scene is taken and loosely based on the first season, Digimon: Digital Monster episode, "Wizardmon's Gift". [3] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clauses and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
By Stiltzkin
Author's Note: Sorry for not posting this in a timely manner. I was suffering from "Sophomore Slumps." A term, which I coin for all my second chapters in all of my series I am currently writing. It seems I could write a good first chapter getting many reviews, but when I post my second chapter...well dust (see my other series to confirm my phobia). Since this series didn't get many reviews...well, let's just say I got off my high chair and out of my pity party and realized that I write to satisfy the emptiness inside of me and not for the adulation of others.
Having this new perspective I started to write this, so I apologize about it's tardiness and hope you like it as much as the first chapter. Please note some of the flashback scenes are a stretch (especially Daisuke's), but I hope it is believable. Finally, my baby brother, who's an avid Digimon aficionado, tells me that Takeru's mother's name is Nancy so I used that, please contact me if I'm wrong. Enjoy.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Loving someone that doesn't love you is like reaching for a star.
You know you'll never reach it but you just got to keep trying."
- Unknown.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWO: SECRETS, MEMORIES AND CONFESSIONS.
Takeru Takaishi quickly meandered through the busy streets of Odaiba. He almost lost his hat twice from running too quickly. "I'm sorry." He said to the person he bumped into and promptly ran around him without his forgiveness and dashed towards home.
Detention had dragged on which seemed like hours. It was the first time he was in detention and didn't know what to expect. Takeru thought that he could do something constructive with the time like homework, but since it was the second last day of school there was none to do. So he was forced to sit there and listen to his principal dragging on about the evils of coital interplay. It seemed like an eternity before he was set free.
He dashed up the stairs of his apartment building, unwilling to wait for the elevator. He didn't realize that he wouldn't have much time to get ready for the formal when he unilaterally decided to take the punishment for what was done in the gymnasium earlier. "Hi mom, sorry I'm late." He said bursting through the door.
"That's okay son." Nancy Takaishi, Takeru's mother replied nonchalantly. Her eyes still fixated on her computer.
"Whatcha doing?" He asked looking over his mother shoulder.
"Just writing an article on the historical significance of toilet paper." Nancy replied.
"Sounds...interesting." Takeru didn't know how to respond.
"Liar." Nancy smiled looking at her son. "What happened? You're out of breath." Her maternal instincts kicked in.
"Just had to stay after school for a bit."
"What did you do?" Nancy sounded concerned. It wasn't like her son to get into trouble. "It's over a girl isn't?" She smiled tauntingly. "Your principal called." Nancy added.
"Oh." Takeru could feel his face turn red. "It's a long story, but I promise it's rather innocent and I'll tell you about it after I get ready for the formal tonight." Takeru said rushing towards his bedroom trying to evade his mother's suspicions.
"You're tuxedo is on your bed." She raised her voice.
"Great! Thanks mom!" Takeru's voice came from within. "Umm...Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Where's my top hat?"
"Oh, I forgot." His mother replied.
"What?!?" Nancy could hear her son freaking out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hikari Kamiya struggled with the zipper of her chiffon black dress for about ten minutes. Every time she would get the zipper halfway up it would go back down again. "Mom?" She yelled with frustration.
There was no answer, but a strange echo of another voice. "Mom?" She yelled again, this time with a hint of confusion. She slowly walked out of her room, to see that her older brother, Taichi Kamiya coming out of his room.
"Have you seen mom?" Taichi asked.
"No." Hikari sighed. "You?"
"No." Taichi's voice had a hint of concern. "Did you check the answer machine?" He asked.
"I thought you did." Hikari sighed.
"I was busy getting ready for the Junior High formal."
"What do you think I was doing?" Hikari asked.
"Well..." Taichi taunted.
"That was a rhetorical question Tai." Hikari sighed wobbling towards the answer machine.
A message emanated from the machine; it was their mother. It seemed that she had to work late at the Health Food Store that she bought shortly after their father's death. She told them not to worry and that she'll be home soon.
"Great." They exasperated in unison.
"I don't suppose you know how to tie a bow tie?" Taichi asked.
"Yeah, I do." Hikari smiled. "But first do you mind zipping my dress up?" She asked turning her back to her brother, lifting her short brown hair.
Taichi's eyes dilated and his left eyebrow rose at the sight of his baby sister's dress. It was a low cut, spaghetti straps, black chiffon dress that flowed an inch above her knees. "You're not wearing that are you?"
"Yeah I am, why don't you like it?" Hikari answered still waiting for her brother to fasten her zipper.
"Well, it's rather revealing."
"I don't think so." Hikari sighed.
"Does mom know you're wearing this?"
"She was there when I bought it." Hikari sighed. "Now if you don't mind would you fasten my zipper?" She asked, her back still facing towards her brother.
"Sorry." Taichi sighed with concern. He approached his baby sister and fastened her zipper. "Is that perfume you're wearing?"
"Yeah. Mimi got it for me when I was in New York with T.K. last summer. Its called Lust." Hikari replied nonchalantly.
"Lust? Why does that worry me?"
Hikari smiled to herself and turn to her brother. "Because you're a caring, loving, protective brother, not to mention obnoxious, rash..."
"I get the point."
Hikari smiled and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I know that I don't tell you this often, but you've been doing a good job taking care of the family since daddy died."
"Thanks." Taichi blushed. "I just wish mom don't have to work so much."
"Yeah me too." Hikari sighed. "So how do I look?" Hikari asked twirling in her dress.
"Aren't you going to be cold?"
"I have a shawl." Hikari exasperated. "So, how do I look?" She reiterated.
"You look fine."
Hikari moaned with frustration. "You're so hopeless." She sighed looking pitifully at her brother. 'Is he really that clueless?' Hikari thought. "Com'on let me help you with that bow tie." She sighed leading her brother into her room. "Sit on the bed in front of the mirror." She directed.
"When did you learn how to tie a bow tie?" Taichi asked.
"Mom taught me years ago." Hikari sighed sitting beside her brother on the bed.
"Why would mom know?"
"You kidding, right?" Hikari smiled. "Daddy didn't know how to tie his bow tie either. Mom had to do it for him." She smiled putting her arms around her brother's neck and began to tie his bow tie. "It was one of those things I wanted to learn when I was younger."
"I didn't know that." Taichi sighed. He had always thought that he knew his father, but when he died, he realized how wrong he was. Taichi never realized how much he had in common with his father and how much he needed to learn from him to become a man. "Hey who bought you the roses?" He asked seeing the dozen red roses in a glass vase sitting on her dresser table.
"Oh that." Hikari sighed dismissing it quickly. "Davis bought them for me."
"Davis?" Taichi sounded surprised. "He must really like you."
"Big surprise." Hikari replied sarcastically. "We've known that since I was ten." She reminded her brother.
"Yeah, but this is the first time he spent money on you." Taichi pointed out.
"Com'on Tai, how much could a dozen long stem red roses cost?"
"Oh, I don't know, a bunch like that, maybe 3000 to 4000 yens."
Hikari gasped. "That much? I didn't realize."
"Yeah, he must have been saving up for weeks." Taichi sighed. He suppressed a small smile to himself. He would remember a time, not too long ago, when he would spend an obscene amount of money on Sora.
The thought of Sora still made his heart ache. 'Why did it have to end up this way?' He thought. The memory of what happened between Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, his first love, and him still pained him. 'What did I do wrong?' He thought. 'Things were a lot simpler when we were younger.' He sighed entering a gaze.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nine years, nine months ago...
Taichi sighed looking out the window of the moving car. He was disheartened, broken-hearted that only a six-year-old could imagine. "Mom do I really have to go?" Taichi's whined. "I wanna play soccer."
"No Tai, everyone has to start school some time." His mother replied. "Today's your time."
"But I don't want to go to school." His temper tantrum continued. "Why can't Hikari go in my place?" Hikari turned to Taichi and blew her whistle. "Ouch...Not so loud." Taichi sighed. "Mom, why did you buy Hikari that whistle?"
"Hikari how many times do I have to tell you not to blow that thing at your brother." Her mother scolded. Taichi stuck out his tongue at his younger sibling. "And Tai you deserved it for trying to get your sister to take your place at school." Hikari let the whistle out of her mouth and stuck her tongue at her brother.
"But ma, I don't want to go to school."
"Don't worry Tai, you'll make tons of new friends, especially with that healthy lunch I made for you." His mother smiled. "You'll be the most popular guy in school."
"Yeah...sure mom." He sighed looking at his lunchbox. "Mom, I think I'm feeling sick." He lied.
"Nice try." His mother smiled. "But we're here." She announced stopping the car.
Taichi looked out the window to see a gigantic, two-story school of Odaiba Elementary. His eyes dilated it was the biggest building beside his apartment building that he ever laid eyes on. "Wow." He said to himself.
"Com'on Tai, time for school." His mother said holding on his hand and carrying Hikari with the other. Her teary eyes were proud that her baby boy was going to school for the first time.
They entered the school and headed to his class accordingly. "Hi my name is Miss. Hideaki, I'll be your teacher. What's your name?" Hideaki said kneeling down to Taichi's level.
"Hi my name is Tai." He said enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you Tai." Hideaki said shaking his hand. "Why don't you play with those two kids over there." She pointed to a table where two kids sat. There was a small girl wearing blue jeans and plan shirt with a blue knitted hat hiding her brown hair and a blond hair, blue-eyed boy wearing blue jeans and green shirt.
"Hi my name is Tai."
"Hi Tai, my name is Sora."
"Hi Sora." He smiled at the girl.
"Hey Tai." He said casually. "Mines Matt."
"Hi Matt." Taichi greeted. "Whatcha doing?"
"We're colouring." Sora smiled. "Want to join us?"
"Sure." Taichi smiled grabbing a red crayon.
Three hours later...
"What do you have for lunch Tai?" Sora asked her new friend.
Taichi opened his lunchbox; the smell of his lunch overpowered their senses. "Wow, that stinks." Yamato commented.
"I know." Taichi sighed. "It's a liver and bean sprout sandwich, my mother is into healthy food." He sighed.
"You mean gross tasting food." Yamato corrected.
"Yeah." Taichi sighed. "Wanna trade?"
"No." They said in unison.
Taichi sighed taking a bite of his lunch. He ate his lunch slowly, while Yamato and Sora quickly finished theirs. With each bite Taichi's stomach turned, with each shallow his face turned a darker shade of green.
"Com'on let's play." Sora said when her lunch was finished.
"Okay." Taichi said jumping from his seat.
"Not so fast Tai." Hideaki interrupted his flight. "You have to finish your lunch first."
"But Miss. Hideaki." He whined.
"No buts now finish your lunch."
"Sorry Tai." Sora smiled sympathetically taking off her hat.
"Com'on Sora let's play." Yamato yelled in the distance.
"Finish soon okay." She smiled unconsciously leaving her hat on the table.
"Why me?" Taichi sighed taking another bite of his lunch. With each bite his stomach turned. It took the rest of the lunch hour to finish his lunch.
"Are you feeling okay?" Hideaki asked Taichi.
"No." Taichi said grabbing the nearest thing he found Sora's hat and threw up in it. "I think I'm sick."
"Com'on I'll take you to the nurse."
"Thanks." Taichi sighed getting up from the table.
"There's your hat Sora." Yamato pointed out.
"Great." Sora sighed with relief. "Thanks Matt, my mom would have killed me if I lost it." She smiled picking up her hat.
"Wait Sora!" Taichi try to intercede. It was too late. She had already put her hat on with Tai's regurgitation covering all over her head.
"Eww..." She cried. "Miss. Hideaki!"
"Oh, oh."
"Tai!" She yelled.
"Com'on Miss. Hideaki, get me to the nurse before she has to fix a broken arm or something as well as my stomach." Taichi said nervously rushing his teacher out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * *
He smiled to himself. 'Well maybe it wasn't so easy.' He sighed coming out of his gaze and realized that his younger sister was in her very own trance. "Hey Kari?" Taichi asked, his voice above a whisper.
"Yeah." She said coming out of her trance. "What is it Tai?"
"My tie?"
Hikari blushed and realized that it was half done. "I'm sorry."
"Where were you?"
"Oh nowhere special." Hikari sighed finishing his bow tie. "I was just thinking about Davis."
"Oh?" Taichi taunted.
"It's not what you think." Hikari reassured. "It's just that Davis has been more romantic these days."
"You fallen for him, haven't you?" Taichi's teased.
"No Tai." Hikari sighed. "At least I don't think so." She went to her camera wanting to hold it, but it wasn't there, she wasn't wearing it. She would always hold her camera or whistle, or whatever was around her neck when she was worried about something, she didn't know why, but it strangely made her feel safe. "Tai how do you know when you're in love?"
"I don't know." Taichi sighed reminiscing about Sora. "It's different for everyone." He sighed. "Why do you ask?"
"It just that...It just that Davis says he likes me and he's so adamant about it, he's so positive that he feels it within his bones." Hikari sighed. "Hell I don't even know what love is." She sighed with frustration.
"I think you do." Taichi encouraged. "You're more mature than the average twelve year old." He sighed. "All the Digidestined seem more mature for their age." Taichi sighed humbly.
"Well being more mature then you're suppose to be is not what is cracked up to be." Hikari sighed.
"I know." Taichi sighed joining his sister in her sorrow. "Is something wrong?" He asked his sister.
"I'm fine." Hikari lied. "Why do you ask?"
"You're clenching to your torso."
"Oh." Hikari blushed. "I guess I feel a little naked without something around my neck." She confessed.
Taichi smiled to himself. "I think I might have something for that." He said leaving Hikari's room. He returned moments later with a golden locket in his hand. "Here." He smiled draping the necklace around his sister's neck.
"It's beautiful." Hikari gasped. "I didn't know that you collected women's jewellery." She teased.
"I bought it for Sora before..."
"Tai, I can't accept this." Hikari said interrupting her brother, taking off the locket. "You bought it for..."
"The woman I love." Taichi completed her sentence. "And the last time I cheeked you were one of them." Taichi forced a smiled.
"Thanks." Hikari sheepishly smiled. She looked into her brother's brown eyes and saw both joy and pain. "Tai?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"What happened between the three of you, between you, Sora, and Matt?" Hikari boldly asked.
"Kari there are just some things that you shouldn't know, that you wouldn't understand, no matter how much life experience you have." Taichi sighed ambiguously leaving his sister's room.
"What happened to you Tai?" She sighed to herself.
* * * * * * * * * *
Daisuke Motomiya was frustrated with his bow tie. "Ahh...why do they make these things so complicated." He said untying the knot that he made.
"Something wrong?" Jun Motomiya, his older sister popped in.
"No." Daisuke replied bitterly. "Not unless you know how to tie this stupid thing." He said trying for the umpteenth time to tie his bow tie.
"Here let me." Jun sighed. "You're so useless. Don't you know how to do anything?" She asked with frustration.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Like you care."
"I don't that's why I asked." Daisuke fumed. "Ow...watch it you're choking me." He complained.
"Then stop moving around." Jun defended.
"Then don't pull so hard."
"Fine." Jun said with frustration leaving his bow tie half-done. "Then tie it yourself."
"I don't know how to." Daisuke pouted.
"Then stop complaining when someone is trying to help you." Jun protested.
"Sorry." Daisuke mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" His sister stopped before crossing the threshold of her brother's room.
"I said I was sorry!"
"Okay, okay, you don't have to bite my head off."
"I'm sorry...I just want to make a good impression with Kari that's all." He sighed.
Jun sighed and took pity on her baby brother. "This Kari, is she the one with Tai as an older brother?" She asked.
"Yeah, so what of it?"
"Hey just asking." Jun defended. "You don't have to be so defensive." She sighed finishing her brother's bow tie. "I thought she and Matt's younger brother were going out with each other." Jun pointed out.
"THEY ARE NOT!" He bellowed back.
"Okay, okay, just calm down." His sister reassured. "I just don't want to see you setting yourself up for disappointment, like I did with Matt." She sighed with sisterly concern.
"That's different!" Daisuke pointed out.
"Oh, how so?"
"In your case you were chasing a guy who didn't like you back, and in my case I'm chasing a girl that..." Daisuke stopped in mid sentence realizing that it maybe one in the same thing. "They just are!" He protested.
"All right." She sighed. "Good luck with everything tonight."
"What do you mean about that?" He bellowed.
"Nothing." She sighed. "Just being polite." She sighed leaving the room.
"Well who asked you to." He yelled to a closed door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Takeru sighed with frustration. For the last fifteen minutes he was trying to comb his cowlick down. 'Ah...this is why I wear hats.' He moaned. 'How can my mother forget the top hat?' He frivolously tried once more to get the tuff of flaxen hair down.
"You okay Takeru? You've been in your room for over an hour?" His mother asked popping her head into her son's room.
"Not really, trying to fix my hair." He sighed with frustration as the cowlick came right back up. "It seems my hair won't cooperate with me." He sighed.
"Here let me help you." Nancy Takaishi smiled sitting beside her son on his bed. "I'm sorry I forgot your top hat when I picked up your tuxedo this afternoon." She sighed.
"That's okay." Takeru sighed. "Maybe I could wear my school hat with this tuxedo." He said putting his white fisherman's hat on. The informality of his white hat clashed with his tuxedo.
"Don't be silly." Nancy smiled taking off his hat.
"Well at least it solves the ordeal with my hair." He sighed.
"Here this will help." Nancy smiled reaching for her son's head.
"Whoa...what's that?" Takeru said trying to stop his mother's intervention.
"Don't be silly, you know what this is." Nancy smiled. "It's styling mousse."
"I know what it is." Her son protested. "When Matt was my age he went through about a dozen cans of that stuff a week." Takeru sarcastically pointed out. "It's just that Kari likes my hair natural." He blurted. Takeru quickly clamped his mouth with his hands. He could see his reflection turn red. 'Please don't let her hear that.' Takeru wished. He let the moment pass and studied his mother visage and saw that she didn't hear him. "Never mind, just get this over with." He sulked.
Nancy Takaishi suppressed a smile and pretended not to hear her son's first excuse. She massaged the styling mousse into her son's golden flaxen hair. She could see her son's uneasiness with the new hairstyle. "Relax, I'm sure Kari would like it." She teased. She couldn't help it.
'Oh...she knows.' Takeru sighed. "I...I don't know what you're talking about." He gave the first defence that ran through his mind.
"Okay...if you say so." His mother taunted. "There all done, what do you think?" She asked.
Takeru looked into the mirror and rather liked his new hairstyle, but he wouldn't give his mother the satisfaction that she was right. "It's okay." He sighed suppressing his approval about it.
"I know, I know, it's not the same thing as your hat." His mother teased knowing her son's true reaction. Nancy could read her son even when he's trying to hide something. "Do you need help with your bow tie?"
"Yeah, thanks." Takeru smiled. "I tired it three times already, but it doesn't seem right." He sighed. "I don't know how dad does it."
"He doesn't." Nancy smiled. "I do it for him."
"Oh." Takeru sighed. "I'm wondering how Matt is going to cope with his bow tie."
Nancy suppressed a smile; her older son had come over earlier for that very reason. "Oh, I think he'll manage." She looked at her son in the reflection of the mirror. "Oh, you look so handsome."
"Mom!" Takeru blushed.
"It's not an insult or motherly prejudice, it's true, you look like your father when he was your age." Nancy smiled seeing a hint of nostalgia in her eye. "I bet all the girls in the school are after you." She smiled.
"Not really." He sighed.
"Oh, I'm sure they are." She sighed. "You just don't notice it." Her motherly instincts honed into her son's eyes, it was full of indecision and pain, and it started when she mentioned girls. "What's wrong son?"
"How did you know that dad liked you when you were young?"
"Well." His mother smiled, the nostalgia in her eyes grew. "He did little things like writing me love poems, sending my favourite flowers, and sending sweets like chocolate."
"Oh." His heart dejected. 'Davis has been doing that lately. Am I losing Kari?' He thought. 'No, don't think that!" He debated. 'Why should I be surprised? It's no secret that he liked her for two years.' He reminded himself. "How did daddy know you liked him?"
"Oh, I was always in love with your father." Nancy sighed. "But if you're asking how did your father know that I loved him then you'll have to ask him." She sighed.
"Oh." She could hear her son's heart drop. "Maybe I will."
A wave of guilt hit Nancy Takaishi drowning her in a pool of bad memories and regret. She draped her arms around her son's neck and held him gently resting her head his shoulder. "I'm sorry son." She whispered.
"For what?"
"For not having a male role model in your life." She sighed. "I wish you have someone to go to with these problems."
"Hey mom, don't say that." Takeru smiled turning to his mother and giving her a hug. "Who would know women more, than my mother?" He smiled.
"You're a good kid you know."
"So you keep telling me." Takeru smiled. He looked into her mother's eyes, the windows to her soul and saw that she was still lost in sentimentality and the romance of the past. "Mom?"
"Yes son?"
"Why did you and daddy divorced?"
Nancy Takaishi sighed looking at her son. 'Maybe it's time.' She thought. "Your father and I love each other very much, but we both love something more then ourselves." She sighed taking a deep breath. "Our careers."
"What? I don't understand."
"Your father and I got married too young. We were young and ambitious and had to be in the centre of our perspective universes, and when our universes collide we ended up fighting." Nancy sighed looking at her son; his eyes were still fixated with hers. "Your father and I are good together professionally, but intimately and personally, that was much to be desired."
"You don't seem like that now." Takeru pointed out.
His mother gave a warm smile. "Your father and I are older and a little wiser, and our perspectives in life has changed and so has our priorities." She smiled at the azure blue eyes of her son. "We realized that we don't have to be the centre of the universe to feel important and we realize the definition of love." She smiled.
"Oh." Takeru sighed with relief. "That's the reason."
"You sound relieved."
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. "For a long time I thought you and daddy broke up with each other because of me."
"You?" Nancy gasped. "Why would you say that?" She asked with motherly concern.
"Well when I was younger I asked Matt why you and dad were fighting so much. He told me that he didn't know, but remembers that the fighting started shortly after I was born." Takeru sighed.
"Is that why you ran away from home?" His mother asked.
"Yeah." Takeru smiled. "I guess I should have found a better place to run away to then Kari's house." Takeru jested.
"I'm glad you didn't." Nancy smiled.
"Well I thought that if I ran away you and daddy would stop fighting." Takeru sighed. "That's a child's logic for you." He smiled to himself.
"Takeru, you know that your father and I didn't separated because of you."
"I know now." He sighed. "But for a long time I thought you did."
"Takeru trust me, your father and I have been fighting long before you were born. Matt was too young to remember, but we were fighting before his birth too. I guess by the time you were born Matt remembers us fighting." Nancy reassured her son's concerns.
"Do you still love daddy?"
"Yeah, your father and I still love each other." Nancy smiled.
"Then why don't you two get back together?" It has been a long dream of his for his parents to get back together.
"Takeru, it's not that easy."
"What do you mean? You just said that you and daddy still love each other."
"Son, sometimes that's just not enough. Sometimes there's just too much pain in the past to go on. Sometimes things just don't work out." Nancy Takaishi sighed. 'Why does these excuses sound so hollow?' She asked herself. "Do you need a drive to school?" His mother asked trying to change the subject.
"No." Takeru sighed taking the hint. "I think I'll walk." He sighed. "I need the fresh air." He sighed getting off his bed. "Thanks for the talk mom." He smiled kissing his mother on the cheek before leaving.
Nancy followed her son out of his room and watched him get ready to leave. 'My he's grown up so fast.' She thought reminiscing. "You take care okay? Don't be late." She told her son as he left.
"I might be a little late." Takeru confessed. "I might be walking Kari home."
"All right." His mother smiled. "Just have Kari call me when she gets home so I know that you're on your way." Nancy compromised.
"Okay." Takeru smiled leaving.
She followed after he son to the threshold to their apartment. She watched as Takeru walked towards the elevator. "Have fun." She yelled down the hall. Her son waved and smiled at her mother as the elevator doors closed.
There was only a slight breeze that served as Takeru's only companion that night. It was the perfect night to end the most beautiful day in his recollection. The full moon beamed its gentle glow unto the land winding down from its busy day. The ambient light of the city drowned all but two of the stars situated near the moon.
If he were conscious of what he was doing, Takeru would have felt odd walking down the streets of Odaiba in a tuxedo. He would feel even more uncomfortable with the people gawking at him like a Picasso painting.
Instead he was lost in a sea of thoughts. A fluctuation of wild musings ran through his mind like a violent storm. His thoughts about his parents and their relationship merged with the thoughts of his personal, internal crisis with Hikari and the redefinition of their relationship.
The last thing he wanted to happen was a repeat of history. He didn't want his possible romantic relationship with Hikari to end up like his parents or end up in a messy dissociation where both he and Hikari are no longer friends, like what happened to Taichi, Yamato, and Sora.
The laughter of children brought back happy memories of his youth. Things seem easier when they were younger. He remembers a time when he could say anything to Hikari without fear or care in the world, now as an older child words are more important and hold more meaning, and each word must be carefully thought before spoken. 'When was the first time I kept something form Kari?' He thought. He misses the naïveté and the serendipity of youth. 'Why are things so complicated?' He thought. 'Why can't things go back to the way they use to be?' He sighed reminiscing.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nine years, eight months ago...
"Where are we going?" Takeru smiled gleefully riding on his brother's shoulders.
"I told you four times already." Yamato keenly replied. "We're going to my friend Tai's house."
"Oh yeah." Takeru remembered. "Will he have toys to play?"
"Yeah."
"Cool." He laughed. "How much longer?"
"We're here now."
"Can I ring the doorbell?"
"Sure." Yamato smiled.
"Yea!" Takeru gleefully leaned towards the doorbell and pressed it. Seconds later Taichi opened the door.
"Hey Tai."
"Hi Matt, what's that growing on your head?" Taichi teased.
"Oh that's Takeru, he's my brother." Yamato introduced.
"Hi!" Takeru cheerfully greeted.
"Hi Takeru."
"I hope he could come over, my mom and dad had to work and I had to bring him along." Yamato explained.
"Sure, no problem." Taichi said. "How old is he?"
"Three." Takeru smiled showing three fingers.
"Cool, my sister Hikari is three." Taichi smiled. "Com'on in I'll introduce you." Taichi said leading them further into his house. "Hey Hikari I have a new friend for you to play with."
Hikari ran out of her room to where the three boys were standing with her whistle in her mouth. Yamato brought his brother off his shoulders and placed him in front of Hikari.
"Hi!" Takeru sheepishly greeted. In response Hikari tweeted through her whistle. "Cool whistle."
"Cool hat." Hikari smiled dropping the whistle from her mouth.
"Thanks." They said in unison. They started laughing at their response.
Taichi and Yamato looked at each other trying to figure out the humour of the situation. "Takeru, this is Hikari, my sister." Taichi introduced.
"Hi 'kari."
"No Takeru, her name is Hikari." Yamato corrected.
"That's what I said." He said looking at his brother, somewhat confused.
"That's okay he can call me Kari if I can call you...um...T.K."
"Sure." Takeru shrugged his shoulder carelessly.
"All right." Taichi sighed. "Kari why don't you bring T.K. into our room and play." He suggested. "While Matt and I play video games out here."
"I said HE can call me Kari." She said pointed to her new friend.
"Yeah!" Takeru added. "And SHE can call me T.K."
"All right, sorry." Taichi sighed.
"Wanna play?" Hikari asked.
"Sure." Takeru replied following his new friend into her room. The room was simple, a desk, a drawer, and a bunk bed. "Cool kitty." Takeru said rushing towards the cat and petted it.
"His name is Miko." Hikari introduced.
"Hi Miko, my name is T.K." The cat affectionately purred back.
"He likes you." Hikari reiterated.
"You think?"
"Yeah, he usually scratches people." Hikari said joining her new friend in playing with her cat. "Do you know what Tai told me?"
"What?"
"Cats always land on their feet."
"Really?" Takeru eyes dilated with interested. "Have you seen it?"
"No." Hikari confessed.
"Do you wanna try?"
"Sure." Hikari smiled. "But how?"
"I have an idea." Takeru said picking up the cat and placing it on the lower bed on the bunk.
"Now what?"
"We go to the other side of the room and call Miko to come over."
"Good idea." Hikari smiled, running to the opposite side of the room. In unison they called the cat over and with ease the cat jumped down landing on its feet. "Hey Miko did it!" Hikari cheered running towards the cat.
"That looks too easy." Takeru sighed with a hint of disappointment.
"Yeah, you're right." Hikari sighed. "Wanna try it higher?" Hikari smiled looking at Takeru.
"Higher?" He asked with a hint of confusion. Takeru watched Hikari pointed to the top bunk. "Good idea."
The ladder was a challenge for the two three-year-olds to navigate, especially with a cat that was reluctant to climb up with them. It took about fifteen minutes for the two of them to accomplish this task. "Wow that was tough." Hikari sighed.
"Yeah." Takeru agreed.
They ran to the opposite side of the room and in unison they called the cat over and with greater difficulty the cat jumped down still landing on its feet. "Hey Miko did it again!" Hikari cheered running towards the cat. "Wanna try higher?"
"Higher?" Takeru sighed. "What's higher then the top of the bunk bed?"
"I don't know." Hikari sighed.
They looked around the room and in the corner of Takeru's eyes he saw the balcony. "I know!" Takeru replied excitedly. "What about the balcony."
The two kids ran outside, they got on their tiptoes and looked down. "I don't know it's really high." Hikari sighed. "I hope Miko doesn't get hurt." Hikari sighed handing over her cat to Takeru.
"Me too." Takeru sighed dropping the cat. Miko let out a horrific scream that sent shivers down their spine.
"What's going on here?" Taichi and Yamato came rushing in.
The two quickly turned around hiding their hands behind their backs, trying to hide their deed. "Nothing." Takeru quickly defended.
"Yeah, we didn't throw Miko over the balcony."
"You throw Miko over the balcony!" Taichi freaked rushing towards the railing and peered over to see if his suspicions were correct.
"I said we didn't throw Miko over the balcony!" Hikari corrected.
"Then what is he doing down on the ground there?" Taichi asked.
"Did he land on his feet?" The kids said in unison peering over the railing.
"Hey I thought you kids didn't threw the cat over." Yamato said crossly.
The two kids looked at each other. "Oops." They blushed. The two looked at their older brothers. They knew they were in trouble.
* * * * * * * * * *
'Ah the good old days.' Takeru smiled to himself. He unconsciously turned into the school like he did for the past two years of his life. Yet with all that familiarity it felt odd going to school at night, he felt like he was breaking in. Takeru thought it was silly to think like that; two years ago he would break in all the time with the other Digidestined to use the computer lab to get into the Digital World.
He meandered into the gymnasium and was in awe by its sudden metamorphosis. Instead of the cold, republican, gymnasium, it was warm and chaotically decorated in a multitude of streamers and warm colours with candles romantically lit everywhere. Music echoed throughout the room instead of the customary eerie silence. "Wow." He said to himself.
"Glad you like it." A girl with blue eyes and blond hair smiled.
"Oh hey, Chastity." Takeru replied. "You did a really good job here." He complimented. Chastity Shiozaki, the head cheerleader, head of the formal committee, and unbeknownst to Takeru one of the many girls in the school who has a crush on him.
"Thank you, we've worked really hard on it."
"It shows." Takeru smiled searching the gymnasium for Hikari, but to Chastity she thought he was admiring her handiwork.
"So do you want to dance?" She boldly asked.
"What?" Takeru gasped. "I...I...don't really know how to dance." He stuttered, feeling his face turning red.
"Come on it's easy." She said pulling Takeru to the dance floor. "You put your hand on my hip here, and hold my hand here." Chastity directed. "Now you lead me in the direction you want to take me." She directed.
Being forced into a dance, he slowly swayed with Chastity while looking around the gymnasium for Hikari. Occupied while dancing Takeru sluggishly headed to his right, she to the left, and he ended up stepping on her foot. "I'm sorry." He blushed realizing that he had to pay attention.
"That's okay." Chastity smiled. "Relax, you're too tense." She advised. Takeru took her suggested and relaxed taking a deep breath and looked at into her sapphire blue eyes giving up his search for Hikari, she obviously wasn't there yet. "There that's better." She smiled.
"Thanks." Takeru said uncomfortably. He didn't know what to say to her. 'What do you usually talk about with her?' He thought to himself. Basketball and school were the only answers that came to him. 'No.' He sighed. He didn't feel right talking about school or basketball in this social context. "So what do you have plan for the summer?" Takeru asked the first thing that crossed his mind.
"Well glad you asked..." Chastity smiled.
Takeru pretended to listen to her giving a nod or give an affirmative grunt now and then. 'How long is this song?' He thought. 'No that's insensitive.' He corrected and listened to the rest of her plans for the summer. Shortly after she finished the song ended. "Well I hope you have fun." Takeru smiled stopping the dance. "Thanks for the dance." He said backing up. "Hope to see you soon." He smiled heading to the refreshment table.
"So many girls, so little time." Hikari's mocking voice came from behind.
Takeru smiled turning around to see her. "Wow." He exclaimed having his breath taking away by her beauty. His breath was not the only thing that went, but his voice too. Hikari saw his mouth moving, but nothing was coming out.
She smiled and suppressed a chuckle. "T.K., your mouth is moving, but nothing's coming out." Hikari said placing her index finger on his lip.
Takeru blushed and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to say that you're ravishing." Takeru smiled.
"Thank you." She smiled. "You look dapper yourself." Hikari complemented back taking Takeru's drink and took a sip.
"Compared to you I'm just dirt." Takeru flirted.
"Flatter." She smiled playfully hitting Takeru.
Takeru smiled at her remark. 'God she looks beautiful.' He thought still enticed by her beauty. A new slow song suddenly started, interrupting his thoughts. "Care to dance?" Takeru asked.
"Love to." She smiled putting her cup down.
Takeru slowly escorted her onto the dance floor gently holding her hand. They embraced, locking their eyes at each other. He held her gently placing one hand on the small of her back and clasping the other with her hand. His heart started to beat faster, the environment suddenly turned warm.
Hikari looked into his blue eyes, being lost in them. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but all she could see was her feelings for him. Not the affections associated with a best friend, but the feelings for a lover, the same feelings she had that morning in the elevator. She was drowning in the pools of royal blue eyes.
Unconsciously she ran her fingers through his flaxen hair. 'What am I doing?' Hikari thought coming out of her trance. 'He's my best friend and has feelings for another girl.' She quickly took her fingers out of his hair. "I like what you done with your hair." She smiled giving the first excuse that ran through her mind.
"Really? My mother did it." Takeru smiled. "It is called styling mousse."
"Takeru Takaishi having styling mousse in his hair, what is this universe coming to." Hikari teased. "Your mother forgot your top hat didn't she?"
"Yeah." Takeru smiled. "Is it that obvious?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She answered enigmatically. "I really like it." Hikari smiled. "You should wear your hair like this more often."
"You think?" Takeru hinted.
She nodded in affirmation. In her peripheral vision she saw Chastity Shiozaki looking at them like a hawk. "Don't look now, but I think Chastity's looking at us." Hikari whispered into his ear.
"Oh, she is." Takeru gasped.
"She's not the girl you like is she?" Hikari noted.
Takeru heart skipped a beat, frighten that she found out his secret feelings for her. He then realized that she was still oblivious to whom the girl was. "Why would you say that?" He asked interested in her reasons.
"Well, you ran away from her from the dance floor when the song finished." Hikari pointed out. "Am I right?"
"Maybe? Wouldn't you like to know?" He hinted for both possibilities. Secretly, Takeru noted her logic and smiled to himself. 'She knows me so well.' He sighed.
"So who is this girl that has capture your heart?"
"Actually to tell you the truth, the girl I like is..."
"Hey T.P. get your hands off my girl!" Daisuke bellowed from the entrance.
"How did I know that would happened?" Takeru sighed above a whisper.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Takeru sighed. It seems that the universe is conspiring against him. Every time he has the courage to tell Hikari his feelings Daisuke would interrupt him just before he was about to tell her, either directly or indirectly. This time was no exception.
The senior class gasped darting their attention towards Daisuke, he blushed at his outburst. They sighed in unison and stopped their dance mid-song and sauntered towards the ever-boisterous Daisuke Motomiya.
In the corner of his eye he noticed that Hikari was fuming. "Kari, please don't make a scene." Takeru whispered.
She was shocked to hear him talk calmly through the rather embarrassing scene. 'Actually, T.K. has always been a steady rock.' Hikari considered her best friend's words. 'Could it be that he's found someone else? Is that why he doesn't get angry when Davis call me his?' She was hurt by that thought. 'No, I have to be happy for him if he and she gets together, whoever she is.' She sighed sadly. "You're right." She finally replied. "Thanks for not letting me make a bad scene worse." Hikari smiled. "Thanks for being a good friend and for protecting my honour." She sighed.
"Yeah, no problem." Takeru sighed. "What are friends for?" His heart cracked deeper when he asked the rhetorical question. 'Is that how she really feels towards me...a good friend?' He allowed that doubt to deepen his wound. 'Would she change her mind if I told her my feelings?'
"Hey Kari you wanna dance?" Daisuke asked oblivious to what he had done.
Takeru could see Hikari's eyes burn with anger. "No now." She whispered. "I have to go to the washroom." She lied storming out of the gymnasium.
"Hey Kari." Ken smiled entering the gymnasium. She unapologetically pushed Ken out of the way. "You look great." He said half to himself. Ken walked into the gymnasium. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked oblivious to what had happened earlier.
"No Ken." Takeru sighed. "But ask Davis here."
"What did you do Davis?" Ken probed.
"Shut up, Ichijouji." Ken exasperated leaving his friends at the entrance.
"This is going to be an interesting formal." Ken sighed ominously.
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. "I'm going to check up on Kari." He said leaving the gymnasium.
"Interesting indeed." Ken sighed.
The formal was like most typical dances in elementary school. The boys would lean against the wall on one side of the room and the girls would do the same on the opposite wall.
Occasionally a boy would venture across the mental precipice that they all imagine and asked a girl he liked to dance. If successful the boys would secretly cheer for his victory and the girls would hope that they would be the next person to be asked. If unsuccessful the girls would giggle at the attempt and the boys would try to build his ego back.
Ken was trying to diffuse Daisuke anger in one corner of the gymnasium and on the other side; Takeru was trying to do the same thing with Hikari. Near the end of the night the dance was picking up.
"Where are you going?" Ken asked.
"To apologize to Kari and ask her to dance." Daisuke sighed leaving his friend's presence. He was in the middle of the gymnasium when an announcement was made.
"All right, boys and girls." Mr. Nakamura, the principal of Odaiba Elementary announced. Everyone stopped what he or she were doing and watched intently at him. "It's time to announce the king and queen of the formal." A wave of excitement suddenly overwhelmed the gymnasium. "The king of the formal is...Daisuke Motomiya." He said opening the envelope.
"What?" He gasped. For the first time in his life he was flabbergasted at what he heard. He slowly, but steadily headed towards the principal where Chastity Shiozaki placed the royal robe around his neck and a crown on his head.
"And for the queen..."
'Please, please, please.' Daisuke hoped, prayed that it would be...
"Hikari Kamiya."
"Yes." Daisuke cheered to himself.
Hikari looked at Takeru with a surprised look. Takeru smiled in return. "Go on." He smiled. "Your public is awaiting you, you're majesty." He teased watching her walked towards the stage to accept her cloak and tiara.
"And now for the king and queen dance."
'Oh great.' Takeru sighed.
Daisuke escorted Hikari toward the centre of the gymnasium and held her. The music struck and the slowly waltzed to the song.
'Isn't Romantic.' Takeru thought. 'Why does it have to be that song?' He sighed meandering his way towards Ken.
Daisuke looked into Hikari eyes and downed in its warmth. "Maybe this is fate." He smiled. "Telling us that we are meant to be together." Daisuke suggested.
"Well Davis, you know what they say." Hikari smiled. "Fate can sometimes be blind." Daisuke felt crestfallen, she noticed it. "I forgive you Davis." Hikari whispered.
"Really?" He smiled.
"Yeah." She confessed. "I took it out of proportion."
"I'm sorry for embarrassing you." Daisuke sighed. "I didn't mean to. It's just that sometimes I lose control of my feelings." He sighed.
"Oh Davis." Hikari sighed. "Sometimes you're just too much." She smiled.
"So you really do forgive me?"
"Yeah, just don't do it again." Hikari smiled.
"Hey Kari I wanted to ask you something..."
The song ended before Daisuke could finish his sentence. Hikari had a gut feeling what he wanted to asked her and quickly escorted him towards Takeru and Ken were talking. "Hey Ken, wanna dance?" Hikari asked.
"Sure." Ken smiled, heading towards the dance floor.
"Oh." Daisuke groaned punching the wall.
"What's wrong?" Takeru asked.
"Nothing." He pouted.
"All right, if you say so." Takeru sighed.
They remained silent watching Ken and Hikari dancing. Takeru knew that it was rather innocent, but he wasn't sure if Daisuke felt the same way. He looked at him and saw that he was angry. 'Why can't Davis and I be amicable with each other?' He sighed. 'Especially, after everything we experienced together in the Digital World?' He thought. 'I guess we will always be this way, until Kari chooses who she wants to be with.' Takeru sighed returning his attention to the dancing pair.
Daisuke tried to suppress his anger, and his jealousy towards Takeru. 'Why do I feel this way?' He thought. Daisuke knew that Hikari's dance with Ken was nothing to worry about; he figured that she didn't want to play favourites with her friends. She had already danced with T.K., himself, and now Ken. His main concern was with Takeru. 'What's so special about him?' He thought. 'Just because they know each other longer and share more time together in the Digital World together doesn't mean Kari should like me any less.' He sighed. 'But why does she always side with T.K.?"
The song ended and they headed towards where Daisuke and Takeru were standing. "Thanks for the dance." Hikari smiled. "I didn't know you know how to dance."
"Its rather simple, but interesting mathematics." Ken sighed.
"Spoken like a true valedictorian." Hikari smiled.
Ken blushed at the comment. "I wonder what's going on there?" He asked rhetorically looking at both Daisuke and Takeru.
"I don't know." Hikari sighed. "I wonder why they can't be amicable together?" She asked rhetorically.
"I think Davis still sees T.K. as a threat to win your affections."
"That's silly." Hikari smirked. "T.K. and I are just friends, why can't he see that?" She sighed. "I know T.K. wants to be Davis' friend, but I just can't see why Davis doesn't want to be friends with T.K." She sighed.
'I wouldn't be too sure of that.' Ken thought to himself. He had had suspicions that Takeru does have feelings for Hikari and Daisuke's reactions are justified, but it was only his private theory.
"All right kids, time for the last dance!" Mr. Nakamura announced. "Ladies' choice." He added.
"Com'on T.K." Hikari smiled.
Takeru blushed and took her hand. They walked towards the centre of the gymnasium and started dancing. "Thanks for dancing with me." Hikari smiled. "I know I'm not the girl you like, but at least I don't have to dance with Davis again." She sighed.
"No problem." Takeru smiled. "Is he really that bad?"
"No, it's not that." Hikari sighed. "It's just that I think Davis was about to ask me out again?" She sighed.
"What so different about that?" Takeru sighed. "He's been asking you out every week for the better part of two years." He pointed out.
"I know...it's just that he's wearing me down." Hikari sighed. "Do you think I'm too mean not to go out with him?" She asked.
Takeru debated to himself. 'I could tell her no and she won't go out with him, but then she has been a little rough on him.' He thought. 'If I answer yes, I could lose her to him.' He sighed. Takeru looked into her eyes and knew that he had to tell the truth. "A little." Takeru sighed above a whisper; the words emanated difficulty through his mouth.
"So you think I should go out with him?" She asked.
Takeru couldn't even bare the pain with answering that question. "I don't think I'm the right person to ask." He replied trying to hide his feeling and his tears.
"And who is?" She smiled. "My brother? Please he'll kill Davis before he could ask me out again." Hikari smiled. "Besides, you're my best friend, and I don't feel comfortable talking about this with Ken." She pointed out.
'I can't stand this much longer.' His eyes became watery; he wanted to cry. 'Not in front of Kari.' He reminded himself. Takeru looked into her brown eyes and was compelled to tell her an honest answer. 'What would I like Davis to say if the situation between Davis and I are switched?' He thought. "Kari, go out with him if you want to, don't do it if you're pressured, or feel sorry for him. Davis deserves better than that and so do you."
Hikari smiled. "You're right." Letting her fingers run through his blond hair. "Thanks for the great advise." She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and rested her head on his torso.
Takeru pulled her in closer and smelled her lilac and lavender hair, his heart beating harder and faster. "Kari, there's something I want to tell you." He sighed. "Could we talk after the dance...alone?" Takeru asked, his voice cracked from both sadness and anxiousness.
"Why can't you tell me now?" She lifted her head and gazed into his blue eyes.
"It's personal." He lied. The truth of the matter was he was on the brink of tears and couldn't tell her his feelings.
"Okay." She smiled, resting her head back on his torso.
They held each other intimately dancing to an ambient song. 'This seems perfect.' Takeru asked. 'But has Kari only sees me as a friend and moved on to Davis?' He thought.
Hikari played with the lapel on his tuxedo thinking how perfect this felt. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of passion hit her, the same feeling that she had earlier that morning. 'No this is wrong.' She sighed. 'T.K. is my friend and likes someone else.' She sighed.
They were lost in their private thoughts, in their own world to have known that the music had stopped and the formal was over. Their thoughts consumed them so much that the exodus of students leaving didn't invade their world.
"Mr. Takaishi, Miss. Kamiya." A voice interrupted them. "The dance is over."
"Oh." They blushed in unison letting go of each other. They looked around the gymnasium and saw that almost everyone was gone. Ken and Daisuke was nowhere to be seen either.
"I guess we should be going." Takeru blushed to Mr. Nakamura, remembering all his lectures earlier that afternoon when he was in detention.
"I think that's a good idea, Mr. Takaishi." He said sternly.
The two quickly rushed out of the gymnasium where crowds of students were looking at them. "I have to go to the washroom." Hikari whispered to him.
"All right. I'll wait outside." Takeru smiled heading for the exit.
* * * * * * * * * *
In the darkness of the stairwell sat a very sad, very crushed, very broken-hearted Daisuke Motomiya. "Why doesn't she like me?" He whimpered resting his arms on his knees and burying his head in the hollow of his arms to dry his flowing tears.
For as long as he could remember he had always liked Hikari Kamiya, he didn't know it then, but if he knew that one-day he would make a fool of himself for her, he might reconsider his feelings. 'Probably not.' He sighed whipping his tear on his arms.
For a long time he had watched her and saw how much she loved her brother, being Taichi's protégé was just happenstance, and he thought Hikari would like him because of their similarities. His love of soccer has always been with him. His mother claimed that he learned how to kicked a soccer ball before he learned to walk. It was inevitable that they became on the same team, later become good friends, and ultimately sharing the emblem of courage in the Digital World.
'Yet that didn't make any difference.' He thought reminiscing of a time where promises were kept, crushed were real and relationships always lived happily ever after. 'What happened to those time?' He sighed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Five years ago...
'What in hell is the world coming to?' An eight-year-old Daisuke thought. He world was coming to an end, the weather was going crazy, a blanket of fog covering the city, monsters was attacking, ghosts coming to his house dragging him to the Convention Centre where a plethora of children were kept crying for their parents.
In the mist of the chaos Daisuke kept his calm very well, he was a more curious child then, which got him to loads of trouble and this day would be a dozy for him. The line seemed endless and guarded well with ghosts, which he would later know as Bakemon.
"I want my mommy!" The girl behind him cried.
Daisuke turned around to look at her. "Be quiet or the ghost will come." He hushed at the girl. The little girl cried even the louder.
"Quiet!" The Bakemon demanded. "Keep moving! Our master wants to see you."
'Master?' The curious Daisuke sighed. 'Wonder who's he's talking about?' He thought closing the gap between the boy in front of him. The girl for the time being kept her tears in.
Daisuke would find out soon. He approached the inner sanctum of the Convention Centre and in the distance he saw a tall, mysterious man well dressed and in a flowing black cape, wearing a pink mask. 'Is that their master?' Daisuke thought. 'Kinda looks like Count Dracula.' He sighed.
As he approached closer he saw a small white cat standing on its hind legs, wearing yellow claw gloves shaking its head reluctantly as each child pass them. 'Funny cat.' He thought. 'I think Count Dracula is asking her something.' He sighed. 'Wonder why he only wants children?' Daisuke thought.
They approached closer to the point of hearing distance. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" The vampire asked.
'Gatomon? Is that the cat's name? And who and what's this Eighth Child?' Daisuke thought with confusion. 'It seems like every answer I get, more question come up.' He thought.
"No." The cat replied.
'The cat could talk!' Daisuke freaked out. This was the first time he ever felt scared ever since the world has been thrown into chaos. 'What is the world coming to?' He thought, this time with more fear. The vampire asked the same question to the boy in front of him.
Now it was his turn. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" The cat shook her head to answer the negative. Daisuke was pushed aside and watch the girl behind him approached the vampire and cat. In frustration the vampire grabbed the girl. "Well Gatomon is this the Eighth Child?" He asked, holding the trembling child. Gatomon shook her head. "Are you sure, because if you're lying I'll destroy everyone in here." He threatened; the screams of the children increased with his threat, he revelled in it.
Gatomon looked up at him with glaring eyes, ignoring the rising, ambient cries of the children. The silence was unbearable for Daisuke that he wanted to scream calling the vampire every bad name he could remember.
A bat with a big head flew in. "Myotismon! You'll love this boss I found the Eighth Digidestined." The bat smiled evilly.
'A giant bat with wings talking?' He gasped. 'Why would that surprise me? Talking ghost, talking cat, why not talking bats?' He listened as their conversation continued. 'Myotismon? Is that Count Dracula's name?' Daisuke thought with a wave of fear overcoming him.
Myotismon looked at the little bowling ball with wings, "You did?!"
"What?! How'd he do it?" An older girl with long brown hair wearing her pink pyjamas wondered (A girl Daisuke would soon know as Mimi Tachikawa). It was the first time Daisuke noticed her, Mimi was several kids behind him in the line.
"Oh no, not Kari," Gatomon looked down with worry.
'Kari? Is she the eighth child?' He thought overhearing the cat.
"Hear that? It's over." Myotismon bellows in triumph. Gatomon angrily looked at him while Myotismon told the talking bat that he has no need for the kids.
"Right, what should I do to them oh, evil one?" The bat asked in anticipation, smiling gleefully.
"Make them go to sleep, I'll find a way to deal with them later." With that Myotismon levitates and flew off, with Gatomon behind being carried by his bats.
'Oh no you don't.' Daisuke thought quickly hiding himself in a corner of the room. A fine mist covered the Convention Centre and the kids that were touched, fall down...fast asleep. 'Wow what power.' He thought with fear. Daisuke waited until everyone was asleep before he made his escape.
Daisuke ran towards the entrance where he witnessed a group of Bakemon being destroyed by a blazing ball of inferno. 'What's going on?' He gasped.
"They didn't stand a ghost of a chance!" The boy, whom he would know as Taichi congratulated his digimon, the Tyrannosaurus Rex that he would later come to know as Greymon.
Daisuke suddenly heard someone coming from behind him. 'Could it be Myotismon?' He thought running to hide. It wasn't the vampire, but Mimi running out when she heard the commotion and stepped out of the room. 'How did she wake up?' He thought remembering seeing her engulfed in the sleeping mist.
"Tai you made it inside!" Mimi cried with joy.
"Mimi, where are the others?" Tai asks.
"They're all fast asleep, Myotismon put them all under some kind of spell; since he found the Eighth Child." Mimi explains.
'They looking for the eight child too?' Daisuke thought, still hiding. 'This mystery is getting more and more complicated.' He sighed. 'I have to find this eight child.' He thought.
Tai was shocked by the news, "Oh no, that means he has Kari!"
"Kari?" Mimi asked, wondering what Tai is talking about.
"Come on let's go."
'Kari there's that name again. She is the eighth child!' Daisuke thought smiling. Finally, he knew a part of the puzzle. 'Wonder where they're going?' He thought. He looked into the distance and saw the vampire heading towards the communications Tower of the television station.
'Gotta get there fast.' Daisuke thought seeing an unlocked bicycle.
Moments later...
He was out of breath when he got to the television studio. He quickly parked the stolen bicycle on the side of the building. 'I don't think the kid would mind.' He reasoned.
'I hope I'm in the right place.' Daisuke sighed. He ventured inside the television studio while the children were occupied with the arrival of an older blue haired kid, and a small blond hair kid dressed in green with a funny hat. He would later learn their names, Jou and Takeru, respectively.
They were arguing about the allegiance of the short man dressed like a wizard. He looked up at the Communications Tower and saw the fog was thicker there. 'I bet the eight child is there.' He sighed sneaking into the Television Centre.
Inside, he meandered through the ghosts and managed to reach the top where he witnessed a bigger ghost dressed in a red cloak holding up his golden scythe. A brown hair girl was standing there with a whistle around her neck. His heart jumped. 'Is that Kari?' His heart started to flutter. 'Whoever she is, she's so brave and beautiful.' He admired. 'Where's Myotismon? Did I beat him here?' He thought.
Suddenly with that thought bats entered the area where Kari stood. Myotismon slowly lowered himself down. "I've got you my pretty and your little cat too!" He said holding Gatomon. Hikari gasped. "Little girl, why have you chosen to show yourself to me? Do you have any idea what's about to happen to you?" Myotismon asks icily.
"Yeah. I guess."
'Wow she's so brave.' He thought having all ready fallen for her.
"Then why?"
"Cause you were hurting all those people; someone had to stop you from hurting innocent people!" Kari said with courage.
Myotismon looked at the small girl and was surprised by her bravery. "My, what a thoughtful little girl you are." He smiled his insidious grin. "Why won't you look at the Eighth Child's face?" Myotismon asked Gatomon. Her face still turned away from Kari.
"Because she's not the Eighth Child. Who is she? I've never seen her in my life." Gatomon lied.
"Is that right?" Myotismon smiled snapping his fingers. The talking bat flew towards Kari and pulling her hair.
"Kari NO!" Gatomon yelled trying to protect Kari.
"Kari...interesting you know her name since you never met her before."
"Hurry, it's up here." A voice announced another person's presence. It was the kids outside the Television Studio.
Daisuke sensed a battle coming. 'Oh no, better go.' He thought quickly leaving the station. Daisuke sneaked past the kids that came up and Myotismon. It was a good thing they were busy fighting each other to notice that he was there.
* * * * * * * * * *
His tears burned at the memory when he first met Hikari. He was infatuated her since the day he saw her. "Maybe my sister is right." He silently sobbed. "Maybe she does like T.K." Hot tears ran down his cheeks, knowing for the first time that Hikari didn't return the feelings he has for her. "I've been such a fool." He sobbed resting his head in the hollow of his arms. "Why?" He wept silently.
"Davis?" Hikari's angelic voice came interrupting his solitude.
"Leave me alone!" Daisuke waned defensively drying his tears, turning his back to her. He didn't want to see her, if he did; he feared that he couldn't control his tears.
"You're crying." Hikari observed joining him on the stairwell and gently putting her hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Just leave me alone!" Daisuke retracted. "Please." He begged.
"Are you sure you want to be alone?" Hikari asked rhetorically. "I can't leave my friend when he's down."
"Just go!" He demanded, hiding his face and tears from her.
"All right." She sighed. "I'll be there when and if you need to talk." She offered. Hikari got up and head towards the front of the school, where Takeru was waiting, albeit with some reluctance. Innately, she could never leave her friends when they're hurting, but what can she do if they refuse her help.
"Why?" Daisuke's voice startled her flight.
Confused, Hikari stopped in her tracks. "Pardon?" She asked with a hint of puzzlement. She turned slowly, oblivious to why he asked that question and approached him sitting beside him.
"You don't know, do you?" He scoffed seeing Hikari shaking her head through his tears, flabbergasted at what she saw. "Why don't you like me?" He asked above a whisper.
"Who says I don't like you?" Hikari sighed, feeling sorry for causing him to come to tears.
"You did." He said above a whisper.
"I did." She gasped. "When?"
"Well not directly." He said drying his cheeks. Daisuke thought of a why he could explain the raging feelings inside. "You choose T.K. for the last dance and not me." He sighed. 'Man that sounded childish - hey wait a minute I am a kid.' He thought instantly regretting what he said.
"Oh that." Hikari sighed. "You shouldn't read too much into it. I just did it because I needed to talk to T.K." Hikari replied giving the half-truth. "I'm sorry for hurting you, I didn't mean too." She sighed.
"Then what about the other times?" Daisuke asked bitterly.
"Other times?"
"The other times you sided with T.K. over me." Daisuke sighed.
"Honestly?" Hikari asked, trying to sort through her answer.
"Yeah."
"Sometimes you're just so irritating." Hikari sighed.
"Oh great, now I'm irritating." Daisuke exasperated.
"No, that's not what I meant." Hikari sighed. "Sometimes the way you show your affections for me, just makes me so frustrated and to be honest, it's something I didn't want to deal with right there and then." She sighed. "I don't know if this making any sense..."
"Yeah, it does." Daisuke sighed. "Sometimes I do go overboard, and do things that backfires in my face. It's just that...it's just that I don't think you'll like me if I didn't." He said the last part above a whisper.
"Who said I wouldn't?"
"Hikari Kamiya, the most beautiful girl in the school, the bearer of the digimantle of light, and the angel of light in the dark void I call my life." Daisuke pointed out. "You deserve everything I could give and more."
"What I deserve is the truth." Hikari pointed out. She looked at Daisuke and saw that he was oblivious to what she was thinking. "Davis, let's just say, hypothetically, I do fall in love with you. The person you think I deserve. I'll be falling in love with a lie, and sooner or later, a lie reveals itself. How would it make me feel to find out that the same man I love is not the man I fell in love with?" Hikari pointed out.
"You're right, I don't deserve you." Daisuke sulked getting ready to leave.
Hikari pulled him gently back down towards her. "No, Davis, the truth of the matter is I don't deserve you. I don't deserve your acclamation, adoration, or glorification." She told him bluntly. "You deserve someone who adores you as much as you adore her." Hikari pointed out. "I'm not that girl."
"You're all the girl that I want."
Hikari blushed at the comment. "Oh, Davis, you're so incorrigible." She said putting her head on his shoulder. "If you really want to win my heart you don't have to try so hard and you don't have to be so possessive, especially around T.K." Hikari sighed.
"Really?" He sounded surprised putting his arm around her.
"Yeah, you know the dozen roses you put in my locker this morning?" She asked rhetorically. "That's the sort of things that could win my heart." Hikari sighed. "I don't need all the publicity or the world's awareness of our relationship. I'm a woman of simple needs and wants."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"So you'll be my girlfriend?"
Hikari bolted up from his shoulder looking into his brown eyes. "There you go again trying too hard." She exasperated.
"All right." He sighed. "How about a date?"
"That's better." Hikari smiled looking into his eyes. 'Look at him, he looks so hopeful. How can I break his heart?' She thought. "I'm sorry, I can't." She did it regardless.
"Why not?" Daisuke asked looking into her eyes. An epiphany hit him. "Oh, I see." The idea broke his heart. "So you do like T.K.?" He sighed.
"No, that's not the reason." Hikari sighed. "Our relationship is platonic."
"You two radioactive?"
Hikari suppressed a chuckle and smiled. "No Davis, that's plutonium." She couldn't help but to give a slight giggle.
"I knew that."
She suppressed a smile and reiterated her point. "T.K. and I are just friends, best friends." Hikari pointed out.
"Then you're not attracted to T.K.?" Daisuke pointed out.
Hikari let that question float in her mind for a bit. "I would be lying if I told you that I'm not attracted to him, but at the end of the day, T.K. and I are just friends. We have been friends since we were three; there's no surprise, for Gennai sakes we've even seen each other naked..."
"You have?!?"
Hikari chuckled at his response. "It's rather innocent Davis, we were three and we took baths together." She rationalized her statement, placing her hand on his thigh. "The point is T.K. and I are just friends, besides he likes someone else." She added.
"Really? Who?"
Daisuke could see the gears in her head rolling, trying to find the name. "I don't know, every time he tries to tell me we get interrupted." Hikari confessed. "Please don't tell him I told you, I don't think he wants anyone to know." Hikari sighed.
"I won't." Daisuke promised. "So why won't you go out with me?"
"Davis, just leave it." Hikari sighed wanting to run.
"I need a reason." Daisuke said grabbing her arm gently, forcing her to come back. "I deserve the truth too." Hikari looked into his eyes and exasperated.
"That's really dirty, using what I told you against me." She pointed out sitting back down beside him.
"I learn from the best." Daisuke smiled.
"The truth of the matter is...you scare me."
"I what?"
"You are so certain that you like me, before knowing who I really am. You know that whole heatedly without any doubt, without hesitation or indecision. How can you be so sure that I am the one?" Hikari asked.
"I'm not." Daisuke confessed. "But it doesn't change how I feel for you. Look Kari, I'm not asking you to marry me, not yet any ways, just one date."
"I don't know." Hikari sighed.
"Hey, I'm scared too." Daisuke confessed.
"You are?"
"Yeah." Daisuke confessed. "We're about to take our relationship to the next step, who wouldn't be scared, but we can't run away from everything we are scared of, or we'll miss out on the best things out of life. Like a date with me." He smiled. "Com'on just one date and I promise not to go overboard."
"Daisuke Motomiya not go overboard? That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one." Hikari sighed to herself.
"Oh great, first you make me cry, then you call me irritating, and now you're calling me names." Daisuke pouted.
"No Davis, an oxymoron is...Never mind, I'm sorry for calling you a name."
"You can make it up by going out with me." Daisuke smiled.
"You are relentless aren't you?" Hikari asked rhetorically. She looked into his puppy dog eyes. "You promise you won't make a big deal about it?"
"Scout's honour." Daisuke smiled giving the scout's salute with a huge grin on his face.
Hikari suppressed a smile and corrected his salute. "Some boy scout, getting your salute wrong and everything." Daisuke blushed at the discovery of his deceit. "All right, one date." Hikari sighed.
"All right!" Daisuke jumped up screaming. "I can't wait to tell..."
"Davis." Hikari said sternly, her arms crossed around her chest.
"No one, absolutely, positively no one." He smiled blushing remembering his promise.
"Com'on, it's late and I have to get home." Hikari smiled getting up.
"I could walk you home if you like." Daisuke offered following her.
"That's okay." Hikari sighed. "T.K. is walking me home."
"Oh." Daisuke felt crestfallen.
Hikari looked at him and had compassion on him. "Actually, it is better if you walk me home, it is on your way." Hikari sighed.
They walked arm in arm through the empty corridors of the school and exited the building where Takeru was waiting for Hikari. The blond hair boy was obviously nervous. He had been pacing and contemplating how he could tell her his feelings. He heard the doors open and put a huge grimace on his face.
"There you are!" Takeru exclaimed, his smile died when he saw the sight of Daisuke. "I thought you fell in the toilet or something." His voice turned nonchalantly at the sight of Daisuke.
"I almost did." Hikari teased back. "Thanks for waiting, but if you don't mind, Davis is going to walk me home, it's late and it is out of the way for you." Hikari pointed out.
"I don't mind."
"Your mother would."
Takeru sighed taking a deep breath. "Actually the reason I wanted to walk you home is to talk to you about something." He confessed.
"Well what is it?"
He looked at Hikari smiling and then at Daisuke's face. They were both waiting to hear his news. "In private." He stressed.
"Can it wait? It is getting late."
"Yeah." Takeru sighed. It was difficult to tell his feelings to Hikari when he was alone, but in front of Daisuke it would be impossible. "It's not important." He lied.
"Thanks for waiting." Hikari smiled kissing him on the cheek.
"Good night." He said above a whisper. She smiled back and walked arm and arm with Daisuke. He was crestfallen at the sight of Daisuke taking off his coat and draping it around Hikari's shoulders. He stood there in the middle of the night, cold, freezing, and late, but inside he felt colder. "Why do I get the feeling that I lost her?" He sighed to himself walking away.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to Digimon: Digital Monster Animated Series is not my invention and is the property of Toei Animation, Bandi, and Saban Entertainment. [2] Daisuke's flashback scene is taken and loosely based on the first season, Digimon: Digital Monster episode, "Wizardmon's Gift". [3] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clauses and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
